Reflectance confocal microscopy features of facial angiofibromas

José-Francisco Millán-Cayetano; Oriol Yelamos; Anthony M Rossi; Michael A. Marchetti; Manu Jain

doi:10.5826/dpc.0701a10

Reflectance confocal microscopy features of facial angiofibromas

Authors

José-Francisco Millán-Cayetano Dermatology Department, Hospital Costa del Sol, Marbella, Spain
Oriol Yelamos Dermatology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S.A. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8058-3095
Anthony M Rossi Dermatology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S.A.
Michael A. Marchetti Dermatology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S.A.
Manu Jain Dermatology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S.A.

Keywords:

reflectance confocal microscopy, dermoscopy, angiofibroma, fibrous papule, basal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Facial angiofibromas are benign tumors presenting as firm, dome-shaped flesh-colored to pink papules, typically on the nose and adjoining central face. Clinically and dermoscopically they can mimic melanocytic nevi or basal cell carcinomas (BCC). Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a noninvasive imaging tool that is useful in diagnosing melanocytic and non-melanocytic facial lesions. To date no studies have described the RCM features of facial angiofibromas. Herein, we present two cases of facial angiofibromas that were imaged with RCM and revealed tumor island-like structures that mimicked BCC, leading to skin biopsy.