Novel Ink - Stained Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Guided Pigmented Skin Lesion Biopsy Technique: Reducing Pathology Sample Bias Through Improved Precision

Abstract

With skin cancer incidence rate steadily increasing each year, melanoma continues to pose a significant public health problem globally. It is well-known that early detection and prevention of melanoma remains the most important intervention for reducing morbidity and mortality, therefore it is imperative to promote innovation that will advance our ability to diagnose melanoma early. Because prognosis and treatment are dependent on the depth of dermal involvement, definitive diagnosis of melanoma can only be made through histopathologic assessment [1]. Thus, appropriate sampling of tissue is critical for the accurate evaluation of melanoma.