Optical Coherence Tomography in the Diagnosis of Skin Cancer

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as a novel noninvasive imaging device that allows for the real-time, in vivo, cross-sectional imaging of skin morphology. OCT has increased imaging depth and field of view compared with reflectance confocal microscopy, at the cost of decreased cellular resolution. Frequency domain OCT, dynamic OCT (D-OCT), and high-definition OCT (HD-OCT) are useful in the diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment monitoring of nonmelanoma skin cancers. Research is currently underway to assess the utilization of these devices in distinguishing between malignant and benign melanocytic lesions based on vascular patterns on D-OCT and cellular information on HD-OCT.