In Vivo Melanoma Cell Morphology and Tumor Aggressiveness: The Promise of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in Reducing Unnecessary Excisions

Abstract

In “In Vivo Melanoma Cell Morphology Reflects Molecular Signature and Tumor Aggressiveness,” Marconi et al. (2022) describe the strong correlations between markers of melanoma aggressiveness and features that are visible on reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). RCM is a noninvasive imaging technique that produces near-histopathological detail and may be considered as a virtual biopsy. This imaging technique is particularly important for suspicious lesions that occur on the face, because any decision to perform an excision must be considered carefully, with the potential for scaring having both cosmetic and functional impacts.