title: The significance of reflectance confocal microscopy in the assessment of solitary pink skin lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Solitary pink lesions often manifest nondescript clinical and dermatoscopic primary morphologic features. The differential diagnosis for pink lesions tends, therefore, to be broad, ranging from inflammatory processes to malignancy. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) may help in the evaluation of pink lesions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to demonstrate the use of RCM as an adjunct to the bedside diagnosis of pink lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a series of patients with clinically and dermatoscopically equivocal pink lesions for which RCM examination allowed for a rapid and accurate diagnosis. All lesions were excised for histopathologic evaluation. Integrating the findings in the case series with a literature review, we present RCM diagnostic criteria for pink lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lesions included basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, amelanotic melanoma, and inflamed seborrheic keratosis. RCM shows distinctive findings for each diagnostic entity when stratified by anatomic level into suprabasal epidermis, dermoepidermal junction, and papillary dermis. In the cases presented RCM allowed for a rapid and accurate noninvasive diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study is descriptive and does not test accuracy of RCM criteria in a prospective series of pink lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RCM may add useful diagnostic features to the clinical evaluation of solitary pink lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10022, USA.
authors.forename: Juliana Casagrande Tavoloni
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scope
authors.forename: Itay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Klaz
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mecca
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabinovitz
authors.forename: Ashfaq A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Marghoob
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D055623:Keratosis, Actinic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D010859:Pigmentation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery