ABSTRACT
Clinical Applications 433
7. Summary 435
Acknowledgments 435
References 435
1. INTRODUCTION
To date, biopsies for routine histology and light microscopic analysis prevail in dermato-
logy as the gold standard for diagnosing skin tumors and other diseases. The procedure
involves excision of a typically 2-8 mm skin sample, processing of the excised tissue
by either chemical fixation or freezing, slicing the specimen in 3-5 mm thin sections, and appropriate staining for microscopic visualization. The slides are subsequently exam-
ined by an expert pathologist who issues a comprehensive report of the histologic findings
from his or her knowledge-based interpretation. This technique allows highly resolved
visualization of tissues; the resolution is typically on the order of 1 mm lateral in 3-5 mm thin sections. However, the interpretation is limited to the excised sample tissue from the study area, is time consuming, and more importantly, does not provide real-
time information. Histopathology is therefore less helpful for time-course and follow-up
analysis. In addition, biopsies pose a risk of infection and unwanted scars. Fast, noninvasive
microscopy of the skin in vivo could potentially solve many of these problems.
