Comparison of Modern Super Wide Field Microscopy Systems in Mohs Surgery

Microscopic interpretation of frozen tissue sections is fundamental to Mohs micrographic surgery. Mohs surgeons spend a significant portion of their day at the microscope. Eye strain and fatigue, in addition to musculoskeletal strain, may increase the risk of interpretation errors as well as musculoskeletal injury.3,4,5,7 Advances in microscope systems have allowed for more efficient and reliable reading of slides as well as decreased physical strain. In particular, the advent of super wide field (SWF) microscopy, which includes lower power objective lenses as well as wider eyepieces, allows for a much larger area to be viewed, decreasing eye strain.2,5 Also, more ergonomically designed systems help to decrease musculoskeletal fatigue and injury.7 In an update to an article from Goldsberry et al, that compared older SWF microscope systems,1 we review three newer systems for comparison: Leica DM2500, Nikon Ci-L, and Olympus Bx53 (Figure 1.) Each system reviewed demonstrates ergonomic design and super wide fields of view, allowing for efficient interpretation of tissue and decreased eye strain and musculoskeletal strain compared to older systems. The Nikon Ci-L had the largest possible VFA at 490.87 mm2, 40% more area than the Olympus and 56% more area than the Leica. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(10):1093-1095, doi:10.36849/JDD.6083.