Nanotechnology and the diagnosis of cutaneous malignancies

The application of nanotechnology to dermatology has opened new doors in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous malignancies in the twenty-first century. Noninvasive diagnosis of cutaneous malignancies has traditionally been limited by the confines of what can be seen with visual inspection. Despite the availability of adjunctive tools, such as the dermatoscope, to increase accuracy in correct identification of lesions, skin biopsy with histopathologic confirmation is frequently necessary to ascertain a diagnosis. Thus, the possibility of imaging potentially malignant lesions noninvasively by coupling nanotechnology with various imaging techniques is very exciting. Much of this new technology still remains under investigation. This chapter will provide an overview of cutaneous malignancies, as well as an overview of the traditional methods and current developments in cutaneous imaging on the nanotechnology front.