Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy in Neurosurgery-An Alternative to Instantaneous Sections?

With intraoperative CLE, it is possible to obtain an on-site histologic diagnosis with a high sensitivity in many tumors. Although definitive histologic classification requires further neuropathologic investigation, these results show that CLE could fill the gap between tissue resection and microscopic analysis. This could ultimately help neurosurgeons to scan brain tissue for tumor remnants on a microscopic scale without having to resect it first. Further development of the device and further investigations are needed before this technique can become part of the neurosurgical routine in specific cases.