Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) facilitates noninvasive, in vivo skin imaging at cellular resolution and may avoid the need for biopsy.1 Among its many indications, it is of particular value in determining pathological margins of lentigo maligna before surgery, particularly where amelanotic components cannot be discerned by the naked eye. Typically, the RCM operator will image selective sites within a larger lesion to determine pathological boundaries using a scanning device. However, as soon as the clinician has removed the scanning device, it may be difficult to determine where the scanned position was, making accurate marking of the skin difficult.

KEYWORDS: imaging; innovation; lentigo maligna; mapping; noninvasive imaging; patient safety; reflectance confocal microscopy; skin cancer

PMID:27543230 DOI:10.1016/j.jaad.2016.03.008