Application of confocal laser scanning microscopy to the observation of bone biopsy specimens

Iliac bone biopsy specimens from five patients with endstage renal disease were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Images of affected bone specimens were accurately focused, whereas images viewed with conventional light microscopy from thick ground sections were obscure. Especially at high magnifications, fine structures of bone cells, otherwise blurred, were clearly observed with confocal scanning microscopy. From thin-cut sections, images satisfactory for pathological diagnosis were viewed with light microscopy even at high magnification. However, the sections tended to shrink vertically compared with the cross-sectional images of the blocks observed directly by confocal laser scanning microscopy. A three-dimensional image of bone tissue was also constructed from serial optical sections. Confocal laser scanning microscopy is a useful technique for observing bone tissues, and may become essential for the evaluation of bone biopsy specimens.