title: Through the looking glass: Basics and principles of reflectance confocal microscopy.
abstract: Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) offers high-resolution, noninvasive skin imaging and can help avoid obtaining unnecessary biopsy specimens. It can also increase efficiency in the surgical setting by helping to delineate tumor margins. Diagnostic criteria and several RCM algorithms have been published for the differentiation of benign and malignant neoplasms. We provide an overview of the basic principles of RCM, characteristic RCM features of normal skin and cutaneous neoplasms, and the limitations and future directions of RCM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut. Electronic address: keenaq@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Syril Keena T
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Que
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Naiara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fraga-Braghiroli
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Jane M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grant-Kels
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Harold S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Rabinovitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Sheba Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scope
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: basal cell carcinoma; cutaneous oncology; melanoma; noninvasive imaging; reflectance confocal microscopy; squamous cell carcinoma; tumors/neoplasm