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In Vivo Reflectance Confocal Microscopy for Inflammatory Diseases

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Technology in Practical Dermatology

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Abstract

In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a relatively novel noninvasive tool for real-time microscopic evaluation of the skin. The device is used prevalently for the diagnosis and management of skin tumor as melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Its lateral resolution of 0.5 micron lets microscopic evaluation of tissue close to cellular details.

Despite, to date, no large comparative studies on inflammatory skin diseases have been published in literature, several papers already showed that RCM has a potential for the evaluation of the descriptive features of the most common inflammatory skin diseases as psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, contact dermatitis, and others.

The aim of the application of this technique in non-neoplastic skin diseases has been prevalently focused on the possibility of clinical diagnosis confirmation, as well as therapeutic management.

Moreover, the use of RCM as driver for an optimized skin biopsy has been also followed in order to reduce the number of unsuccessful histopathological examination.

In this chapter, the major confocal features of the most common inflammatory skin disorders are described with focus on psoriasiform dermatitis, interface dermatitis, and spongiotic dermatitis.

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Abbreviations

ACD:

Allergic contact dermatitis

DEJ:

Dermo–epidermal junction

DLE:

Discoid lupus erythematosus

ICD:

Irritant contact dermatitis

LP:

Lichen planus

PP:

Plaque psoriasis

RCM:

Reflectance confocal microscopy

SD:

Seborrheic dermatitis

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Dermatology, San Gallicano Institute IRCCS, Rome, Italy

    Marco Ardigo, Chiara Franceschini & Flavia Persechino

Authors
  1. Marco Ardigo
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  2. Chiara Franceschini
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  3. Flavia Persechino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco Ardigo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuro-Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Michele Fimiani

  2. Dermatology Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuro-Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Pietro Rubegni

  3. Dermatology Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuro-Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Elisa Cinotti

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Ardigo, M., Franceschini, C., Persechino, F. (2020). In Vivo Reflectance Confocal Microscopy for Inflammatory Diseases. In: Fimiani, M., Rubegni, P., Cinotti, E. (eds) Technology in Practical Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45351-0_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45351-0_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-45350-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45351-0

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