Reflectance confocal microscopy: A new tool in skin oncology

Nowadays in the contest of skin diseases the most important goals are the decrease of mortality through an early diagnosis and the reduction of unnecessary excisions of benign entities. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a modern imaging technique that has been introduced in main dermatological-referral centers and applied mostly in skin oncology. Currently, RCM may be considered very useful for accurate and early diagnosis of skin cancers (such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma), enabling a specific study of epidermal structures, dermo-epidermal junction and upper dermis. RCM, as second level diagnosis tool, is helpful in several cases, in particular for challenging lesions. © 2013 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.