Purpose: To characterize in vivo microscopic features of healthy oral mucosa by noninvasive, real-time reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM).
Material and methods: One hundred healthy mucosal sites (38 lips, 24 cheeks, 10 gingivae, and 28 tongues) from 50 randomly selected volunteers were imaged by a commercially available in vivo RCM (Vivascope3000, Lucid, Rochester, NY). Morphological results were described and correlated with conventional histology.
Results: Specific microscopic parameters (cellular morphology, anatomical structures features, architectural patterns) were identified by RCM for each mucosal site.
Conclusions: RCM features reproducibility in different mucosal sites and subjects, which suggests that RCM can be an adjunct tool for clinical management in stomatology.