Reflectance confocal microscopy of an inverted follicular keratosis mimicking a squamous cell carcinoma

Sarah Hocker; Harold S. Rabinovitz; Margaret Oliveiro; Jane Grant-Kels; Alon Scope

doi:10.5826/dpc.0704a09

Reflectance confocal microscopy of an inverted follicular keratosis mimicking a squamous cell carcinoma

Authors

Sarah Hocker Skin and Cancer Associates, Plantation, FL, USA
Harold S. Rabinovitz Department of Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
Margaret Oliveiro Department of Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
Jane Grant-Kels Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
Alon Scope Department of Dermatology, Sheba Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Keywords:

dermoscopy, inverted follicular keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma, reflectance confocal microscopy

Abstract

Distinguishing between benign and malignant neoplasms of the skin is a daily challenge to dermatologists. With the use of a dermatoscope and other imaging devices, the diagnosis is often more precise. The confocal microscope is a device that uses a near-infrared laser to perform noninvasive imaging of the skin. The benefit is that the images immediately provide additional, cellular-level information that can assist in diagnosis. However, lesions may share overlapping characteristics on confocal microscopy, and hence, benign lesions can still display confocal features concerning for a cancerous process, justifying a biopsy. Here, we present a case of an inverted follicular keratosis imitating a squamous cell carcinoma on confocal microscopy.

References

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