Dye-enhanced multimodal confocal microscopy for noninvasive detection of skin cancers in mouse models

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. Its early diagnosis and timely treatment is of paramount importance for dermatology and surgical oncology. In this study, we evaluate the use of reflectance and fluorescence confocal microscopy for detecting skin cancers in an in-vivo trial with B16F10 melanoma and SCCVII squamous cell carcinoma in mice. For the experiments, the mice are anesthetized, then the tumors are infiltrated with aqueous solution of methylene blue and imaged. Reflectance images are acquired at 658 nm. Fluorescence is excited at 658 nm and registered in the range between 690 and 710 nm. After imaging, the mice are sacrificed. The tumors are excised and processed for hematoxylin and eosin histopathology, which is compared to the optical images. The results of the study indicate that in-vivo reflectance images provide valuable information on vascularization of the tumor, whereas the fluorescence images mimic the structural features seen in histopathology. Simultaneous dye-enhanced reflectance and fluorescence confocal microscopy shows promise for the detection, demarcation, and noninvasive monitoring of skin cancer development.