ABSTRACT
This chapter presents early research and recent progress in reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) imaging to guide laser ablation of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). A description of initial studies using excised skin specimens to characterize a set of accurate parameters for removal of BCCs while controlling thermal coagulation after ablation is provided. Results on the evaluation of uptake of contrast agent along with the use of RCM imaging of cellular detail to detect residual BCCs in postablated tissue are also illustrated. These studies offer a list of parameters for the carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) lasers. Two contrast agents, acetic acid for ex vivo and aluminum chloride for in vivo, were tested to label nuclei and enhance contrast of nuclear morphology in ablated skin tissue.1-6 The uptake of contrast agent was sufficient to label nuclei in ex vivo and in vivo conditions. RCM imaging appeared to be capable of detecting the absence or presence of residual BCCs postablation.
