In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy image interpretation for the dermatopathologist

Abstract

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a technology utilized for bedside diagnosis of cutaneous pathology by non-invasive, in vivo, cellular-level imaging. With the recent establishment of reimbursement codes by the US Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, RCM is now likely to be employed by clinical dermatologists and impact decision making on skin cancer management. Dermatopathologists, therefore, would benefit from learning how to interpret RCM images and how RCM findings correlate with histopathological criteria of diagnosis. This review briefly explains the principles behind RCM image acquisition, describes the key RCM features of normal skin, and delineates the RCM characteristics of frequently observed benign and malignant neoplasms.