MORPHOMETRY OF HUMAN EPIDERMIS IN-VIVO BY REAL-TIME CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

Real-time confocal microscopy has brought substantial improvements to the imaging of the human skin in vivo. On early images, the stratum co rneum could be distinguished from the living epidermis and the circula tory network of the superficial dermis. We have adapted the Tandem Sca nning Microscope to obtain images of the living skin, showing thinner structures such as the stratum lucidum and the dermo-epidermal junctio n, both of which are essential markers for micron-order measurements o f the thickness of the stratum corneum and living epidermis. The measu rements were corrected for the differences in the refractive index of the various cutaneous layers, and the undulation of the dermo-epiderma l junction. Furthermore, nucleus size and number could be assessed fro m horizontal optical sections. To illustrate the sensitivity of the th ickness measurements, changes in the thickness of the epidermis were r ecorded during and after stripping of the horny layers. This non-invas ive methodology is a very promising tool for morphometric studies of t he living human skin at the cellular level.