Current and future perspectives of digital microscopy with fluorescence confocal microscope for prostate tissue interpretation: a narrative review

Fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) is an optical imaging technique providing digital microscopical images of fresh tissue in a real time fashion, without conventional processing. FCM has been widely applied several fields dermatology, including the detection basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous inflammatory diseases. The aim paper to provide overview applications field prostate interpretation cancer (PCa) detection. A Literature search (PubMed & Web Science) was performed identify articles concerned with clinical surgical prostatic periprostatic tissues interpretation. Overall, six were identified. All investigated level agreement between histopathological analysis (hematoxylin-eosin, HE) for discrimination normal PCa tissues. An investigative article on samples retrieved from radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens atlas same series found. Two prospective trials, comparing HE, pointed out substantial almost perfect discriminative performance diagnosis biopsy core. Finally, two studies intra-operative role during RP control dissection. In this setting, could be used analyse suspicious peri-prostatic areas; also tested en-face evaluation flat slices obtained systematic sampling posterolateral aspects prostate, NeuroSAFE-like approach. Generally, provides requiring Currently, available confirmed high concordance pathology PCa. Further are required validate technology, evaluate ISUP score attribution implement application treatment