Reflectance Confocal Microscopy of Cutaneous Tumors

With 1.4 million cases of skin cancer reported in the USA each year there is increasing emphasis on early and accurate diagnosis. In Vivo Reflectance Confocal Microscopy is the latest technology being developed to meet these needs: it allows optical sectioning of an area of skin without the need for physical sectioning and could thus be ideal for dermatologists wishing to examine detailed features of a skin lesion without troubling the patient for a biopsy specimen. It has further potential also, for dermatopathologists needing to determine the best location for a section and for dermatological surgeons needing to determine the margins of a lesion to be excised. This comprehensive full-colour atlas - the first available - sets out the potential of the technology and its possible applications for the clinical practitioners involved in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.