Clinical applicability of in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy in dermatology.

Abstract

In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that offers the evaluation of the skin at real time with cellular resolution. In the past decade, multiple studies have been performed showing the clinical applicability of RCM for the diagnosis of melanoma and non melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). In this regard, RCM has moved from a research tool to a valuable diagnostic technique being applied in daily clinical practice. In this regard, RCM aids in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of various skin diseases and may also be used for selection of the biopsy site. Furthermore, RCM allows monitoring of a skin lesion over time without tissue alteration and thus represents a valuable method for treatment monitoring.