title: In vivo characterization of healthy oral mucosa by reflectance confocal microscopy: a translational research for optical biopsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize in vivo microscopic features of healthy oral mucosa by noninvasive, real-time reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred healthy mucosal sites (38 lips, 24 cheeks, 10 gingivae, and 28 tongues) from 50 randomly selected volunteers were imaged by a commercially available in vivo RCM (Vivascope3000, Lucid, Rochester, NY). Morphological results were described and correlated with conventional histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Specific microscopic parameters (cellular morphology, anatomical structures features, architectural patterns) were identified by RCM for each mucosal site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RCM features reproducibility in different mucosal sites and subjects, which suggests that RCM can be an adjunct tool for clinical management in stomatology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatological, Orthodontic and Surgical Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Contaldo
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agozzino
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moscarella
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serpico
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ardigò
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019242:Oral Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results