Search

Bowen's disease (BD) is a relatively frequent non-melanoma skin cancer occurring mostly in elderly people. Until now, the usual way to establish the diagnosis is histopathological examination of a skin biopsy. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) are modern alternative methods that can be used as quick and non-invasive diagnostic techniques and as follow-up instruments in cases in which a conservative treatment is chosen for the management of BD. There are no very specific dermoscopic criteria for the diagnosis of this disease, but some dermoscopic features (scaly surface, vascular structures and pigmentation) can be found more frequent and can be helpful for the diagnosis. RCM of BD shows an acanthotic epidermis with two types of targetoid cells: the first, a large cell with bright center and dark peripheral halo, the second, a cell with dark center and a bright rim surrounded by a dark hallo, related with dyskeratotic cells on histological examination. BD management could be improved by using non-invasive, in vivo imaging techniques that allow a fast and easy diagnosis and can be used as follow-up tools. However, larger studies are necessary for the validation of our observations.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a modern imaging technique that enables the in vivo or ex vivo characterization of skin lesions located in the epidermis and superficial dermis with a high quasi-microscopic resolution. Currently, it is considered to be the most promising imaging tool for the evaluation of superficial skin tumors. The in vivo mode adds the advantage of noninvasive, dynamic, in real-time assessment of the tumor associated vasculature and inflammation. It offers the possibility to repeatedly examine the same skin area without causing any damage and to monitor disease progression and treatment outcome. Furthermore, this novel technology allows the evaluation of the entire lesion and can be used to guide biopsies and to define tumor margins before surgical excision or other invasive therapies. CLSM diagnostic features may differentiate between the various histologic subtypes of skin tumors and therefore helps in choosing the best therapeutic approach. In this study, we present the CLSM characteristic features of the most common melanocytic and non-melanocytic skin tumors, as well as future possible CLSM applications in the study of experimental skin tumorigenesis on animal models.