Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Imaging of Skin Inflammation: Clinical Applications and Research Directions

Overview

Journal Exp Ther Med

Specialty Pathology

Date 2019 Jan 26

PMID 30679966

Citations 35

Authors

Mihaela Adriana Ilie

Constantin Caruntu

Daniela Lixandru

Mircea Tampa

Simona-Roxana Georgescu

Maria-Magdalena Constantin

Carolina Constantin

Monica Neagu

Sabina Andrada Zurac

Daniel Boda

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a novel imaging technique that provides noninvasive, morphological characterization of skin structures with a resolution that is very close to that of light microscopy. Moreover, as it allows repeated imaging of the same skin area at different time-points, it is an excellent method for monitoring disease course, response to treatment or specific stimuli and a path to study dynamic phenomena in real-time. To date, two different variants of CLSM have been authorized in dermatological field, namely the reflectance confocal microscopy predominantly for clinical diagnosis and the fluorescence confocal microscopy mainly for research purposes. This study describes the principles of CLSM technique, its role in the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory skin diseases, as well as some promising research directions to study the dynamics of skin inflammation using this method. CLSM evaluation of inflammatory dermatoses and of the skin inflammatory component in various diseases has an undoubted potential with broad applications ranging from clinical, morphological to experimental, functional studies involving the skin.

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