title: State of the art in non-invasive imaging of cutaneous melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This review focuses on looking at recent developments in the non-invasive imaging of skin, in particular at how such imaging may be used at present or in the future to detect cutaneous melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A MEDLINE search was performed for papers using imaging techniques to evaluate cutaneous melanoma, including melanoma metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine different techniques were found: dermoscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy (including multiphoton microscopy), optical coherence tomography, high frequency ultrasound, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and Fourier, Raman, and photoacoustic spectroscopies. This review contrasts the effectiveness of these techniques when seeking to image melanomas in skin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the variety of techniques available for detecting melanoma, there remains a critical need for a high-resolution technique to answer the question of whether tumours have invaded through the basement membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Materials, Kroto Research Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macneil
mesh_terms: D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000639:trends*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*