Abstract
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer of melanocytic origin. The tumor has a high malignant potential and early metastasis. Prognosis is directly linked to the stage of the disease. Diagnosing thin melanoma at an early stage offers patients their best chance for survival. The crucial innovation in the early recognition of melanoma was the development of in vivo examination of the skin in high-resolution, by confocal microscopy. Confocal microscopy and its modifications provides a ?virtual biopsy?, owing to melanosomes and melanin, which are a source of endogenous contrast. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) provides visualization of microanatomical structures and cellular detail in real time (pigmented keratinocytes, melanocytes, melanosomes and melanophages) in the epidermis, dermoepidermal junction and superficial dermis at a resolution equivalent to the resolution of conventional microscopes.
Highlights
Melanoma represents an aggressive tumor that early metastasizes and is resistant to medical therapy (Lazar et al, 2010)
The same authors, in 2002. demonstrated that intraepidermal melanoma can be recognized by Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) through analysis of the intraepidermal growth patterns of melanocytes using the same criteria as established for conventional histology (Busam et al, 2002)
Taking into account all RCM studies dealing with the diagnostic accuracy in melanocytic skin lesions, sensitivity and specificity of approximately 90% and 86%, respectively, could be reached (Hofmann-Wellenhof et al, 2009)
Summary
MILICA APOSTOLOVIĆ STOJANOVIĆ1, DANIJELA DOBROSAVLJEVIĆ VUKOJEVIĆ2,4, VESNA LAČKOVIĆ3,4, A. Abstract - Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer of melanocytic origin. The tumor has a high malignant potential and early metastasis. Diagnosing thin melanoma at an early stage offers patients their best chance for survival. The crucial innovation in the early recognition of melanoma was the development of in vivo examination of the skin in high-resolution, by confocal microscopy. Confocal microscopy and its modifications provides a “virtual biopsy“, owing to melanosomes and melanin, which are a source of endogenous contrast. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) provides visualization of microanatomical structures and cellular detail in real time (pigmented keratinocytes, melanocytes, melanosomes and melanophages) in the epidermis, dermoepidermal junction and superficial dermis at a resolution equivalent to the resolution of conventional microscopes
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