Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review
Cutaneous and adnexal fungal infections are typically diagnosed with potassium hydroxide (KOH) skin scrapings, fungal cultures, and Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) biopsy staining. All three current methods of fungal diagnosis require sample processing and turnover time which leads to a delay in diagnosi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/1/39 |
| _version_ | 1797440207596814336 |
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| author | Samavia Khan Banu Farabi Cristian Navarrete-Dechent Babar Rao Bijan Safai |
| author_facet | Samavia Khan Banu Farabi Cristian Navarrete-Dechent Babar Rao Bijan Safai |
| author_sort | Samavia Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cutaneous and adnexal fungal infections are typically diagnosed with potassium hydroxide (KOH) skin scrapings, fungal cultures, and Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) biopsy staining. All three current methods of fungal diagnosis require sample processing and turnover time which leads to a delay in diagnosis. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive, in vivo skin imaging technology that provides real-time dermatologic diagnoses. We present an updated systematic review of the applications of RCM in diagnosing fungal infections in an effort to explore the utility of RCM as an adjunct clinical tool in detecting cutaneous and adnexal fungi We systematically searched the MEDLINE (via PubMed) for studies published from January 2000 to October 2022 that described the utility of RCM in the setting of fungal infections. Of the 25 studies that met the inclusion criteria, 202 patients were included. The following information on the application of RCM in the setting of fungal infections was extracted from each study, if reported: study type, year published, number of patients included, diagnosis/diagnostic methods, and RCM description. Concordant within all included studies, fungal infections presented on RCM as bright, linear, branching, filamentous structures at the level of stratum corneum. A limitation of this review is that 11 of 25 studies were case reports (n = 1). Larger scale studies should be conducted to explore the utility of RCM in diagnosing fungal infections and to enrich the RCM descriptions of specific fungal conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:04:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-864439021c5b41c3a313a3712fd4805c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:04:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj.art-864439021c5b41c3a313a3712fd4805c2023-11-30T22:59:29ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2022-12-01913910.3390/jof9010039Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic ReviewSamavia Khan0Banu Farabi1Cristian Navarrete-Dechent2Babar Rao3Bijan Safai4Center for Dermatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USADermatology Department, New York Medical College/Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, NY 10029, USADepartment of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Región Metropolitana, ChileCenter for Dermatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USADermatology Department, New York Medical College/Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, NY 10029, USACutaneous and adnexal fungal infections are typically diagnosed with potassium hydroxide (KOH) skin scrapings, fungal cultures, and Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) biopsy staining. All three current methods of fungal diagnosis require sample processing and turnover time which leads to a delay in diagnosis. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive, in vivo skin imaging technology that provides real-time dermatologic diagnoses. We present an updated systematic review of the applications of RCM in diagnosing fungal infections in an effort to explore the utility of RCM as an adjunct clinical tool in detecting cutaneous and adnexal fungi We systematically searched the MEDLINE (via PubMed) for studies published from January 2000 to October 2022 that described the utility of RCM in the setting of fungal infections. Of the 25 studies that met the inclusion criteria, 202 patients were included. The following information on the application of RCM in the setting of fungal infections was extracted from each study, if reported: study type, year published, number of patients included, diagnosis/diagnostic methods, and RCM description. Concordant within all included studies, fungal infections presented on RCM as bright, linear, branching, filamentous structures at the level of stratum corneum. A limitation of this review is that 11 of 25 studies were case reports (n = 1). Larger scale studies should be conducted to explore the utility of RCM in diagnosing fungal infections and to enrich the RCM descriptions of specific fungal conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/1/39reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM)fungal infectionsfungimedical dermatologynon-invasive skin imaging |
| spellingShingle | Samavia Khan Banu Farabi Cristian Navarrete-Dechent Babar Rao Bijan Safai Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review Journal of Fungi reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) fungal infections fungi medical dermatology non-invasive skin imaging |
| title | Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review |
| title_full | Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review |
| title_fullStr | Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review |
| title_short | Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections: A Systematic Review |
| title_sort | applications of reflectance confocal microscopy in the diagnosis of fungal infections a systematic review |
| topic | reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) fungal infections fungi medical dermatology non-invasive skin imaging |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/1/39 |
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