Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a novel non-invasive imaging technique for in vivo evaluation of cutaneous lesions at near-histologic resolution. The applicability of CLSM for various neoplastic and inflammatory skin diseases has been shown. The objective of the study is to utilize the CLSM for the differential diagnosis of atypical dermatoses. Six patients with atypical clinical manifestation were detected by CLSM. In spite of non-typical clinical manifestations, CLSM can still detect their characteristic pathological changes and help differentiate them from other diseases that are liable to be confused in clinical practice. CLSM deserves wide application in clinical practice as it boasts of easy and convenient operation, broad application, no pains or traumas for patients, rapid examination reports, as well as it can relieve patient's distress by avoiding the traumas resulting from histopathological biopsy.
Keywords: Atypical; Confocal laser scanning microscopy; Dermatoses.