Optional medical device diagnostics – depending on the results of the history, physical examination, laboratory diagnostics, and obligatory medical device diagnostics – for differential diagnostic clarification.
- Dermoscopy (reflected-light microscopy; increases diagnostic certainty) [pigmented or nonpigmented; vessels: regular pattern, glomerular vessels; scaling often present; typical: linear and radial arrangement of brown or gray dots; rarely clods present; not present are erosions(superficial substance defects confined to the epidermis, without scarring)/ulcerations (ulceration)]
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT): the procedure is based on is based on coherent light interferometry; the skin is irradiated with broadband light; the light reflected from the tissue allows the calculation and display of two-dimensional depth section images on a monitor; penetration depth is greater than confocal laser scanning microscopy (KLSM), but at the expense of lower resolution (penetration depth: into subcutaneous tissue (1-2 mm), but with lower resolution: 10-20 μm). Indications: non-melanocytic skin tumors, especially basal cell carcinomas, actinic keratoses, Bowen’s carcinomas, and spinocellular carcinomas (squamous cell carcinomas of the skin).
