Simple device for the direct visualization of oral-cavity tissue fluorescence.
Early identification of high-risk disease could greatly reduce both mortality and morbidity due to oral cancer. We describe a simple handheld device that facilitates the direct visualization of oral-cavity fluorescence for the detection of high-risk precancerous and early cancerous lesions. Blue excitation light (400 to 460 nm) is employed to excite green-red fluorescence from fluorophores in the oral tissues. Tissue fluorescence is viewed directly along an optical axis collinear with the axis of excitation to reduce inter- and intraoperator variability. This robust, field-of-view device enables the direct visualization of fluorescence in the context of surrounding normal tissue. Results from a pilot study of 44 patients are presented. Using histology as the gold standard, the device achieves a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 100% when discriminating normal mucosa from severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ (CIS) or invasive carcinoma. We envisage this device as a suitable adjunct for oral cancer screening, biopsy guidance, and margin delineation.
Lane
Pierre M
PM
British Columbia Cancer Research Center, Cancer Imaging Department, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada. plane@bccrc.ca
Gilhuly
Terence
T
Whitehead
Peter
P
Zeng
Haishan
H
Poh
Catherine F
CF
Ng
Samson
S
Williams
P Michele
PM
Zhang
Lewei
L
Rosin
Miriam P
MP
MacAulay
Calum E
CE