Daniel Friedman; Peter C. Friedman, MD, PhD; Melissa Gill, MD
Mr. Friedman is from John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Friedman is from The Skin Center Dermatology Group, New City, New York. Dr. Gill is from SkinMedical Research and Diagnostics, Dobbs Ferry, New York.
The authors report no conflict of interest. The confocal microscope was provided by Caliber Imaging and Diagnostics (formerly Lucid Technologies, Inc) on an evaluation basis, but no funding for this research was provided.
Correspondence: Peter C. Friedman, MD, PhD, The Skin Center Dermatology Group, 200 E Eckerson Rd, New City, NY 10956 (pbc9@columbia.edu).
Based on our chart review of a small number of cases, we found that RCM can be a useful tool in diagnosing dermatophytic infections of the skin. With adequate training, dermatologists may be able to use RCM as an in-office tool to capture and evaluate images and subsequently diagnose or exclude dermatophytosis in a quick and noninvasive manner. However, further research and controlled studies of more cases will be required to develop accurate criteria for diagnosing fungal structures by RCM as well as to help determine the role of RCM in our diagnostic armamentarium.
