Update on non-invasive imaging techniques in early diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer

Abstract

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignancy in fair skinned populations. Dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are non-invasive imaging techniques that play an important role in diagnosis of skin tumors. The aim of this study was to provide new insights into the role of non-invasive tecniques in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancers, concentrating especially on dermoscopy, RCM and OCT. The analysis of the studies obtained from the most recent literature, taking into account previous essential reported information in this field. A search concerning the role of dermoscopy, RCM and OCT in the diagnosis of NMSC was performed on PubMed.

Exclusion criteria: duplicated studies, single case report, and papers with language other than English New and old literature about early diagnosis of NMSC through non-invasive imaging techniques were analyzed. The role and the diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopy, RCM and OCT for the diagnosis of NMSC were reported according to the data given by literature. The development of non-invasive diagnostic devices (especially dermoscopy, RCM and OCT) allows tissue imaging in-vivo contributing to a more accurate diagnosis of skin cancer, sparing time for the patient and costs for the public health system.