Dr. Josep Malvehy Guilera and Dr. Susana Puig Sarda are leading dermatologists in the treatment of melanoma and members of Top Doctors. Both are experts in the application of the confocal microscopy technique for the diagnosis of skin cancer and other skin lesions.
In vivo confocal microscopy is a technique that was introduced in 1957 with the use of the first laboratory microscopes. This non-invasive technique has developed extensively and now allows examination of the skin with a cellular resolution similar to that obtained by conventional histology, with the advantage that it is painless and carries no risk to the patient.
The technique represents a major advance in the non-invasive detection and diagnosis of skin tumors. Confocal microscopy enables the diagnosis of melanoma, cutaneous carcinoma and other skin tumors prior to surgery and allows the surgical margins to be oriented. It is also possible to detect possible recurrences after surgery, which often go unnoticed due to their lack of pigment.
Another advantage of confocal microscopy is that it makes it possible to analyze the skin without the need to remove tissue for biopsy. This makes it possible to non-invasively evaluate the evolution of some treatments such as photodynamic therapy, imiquimod or cryotherapy of cutaneous carcinoma. It is also useful in the diagnosis of melanosis of the oral or genital mucosa, where biopsy is particularly uncomfortable.