Ex vivo confocal microscopy of basal cell carcinoma on a 3-color scale

Introduction: Ex vivo confocal microscopy (CM) is a scanner laser microscope capable of visualizing freshly excised tissues in real-time with cellular resolution without ulterior sample processing. Depending on the laser wavelength, either reflectance (RCM) or fluorescence (FCM) can be collected from the tissue, obtaining thin digital images. It has been demonstrated that ex vivo CM is useful and reliable for fast evaluation of tumour margins during Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). The use of dyes improved contrast, thus even small strands of BCC have been spotted in FCM mosaics.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research