Fibered confocal microscopy of bladder tumors: an ex vivo study.
OBJECTIVE
The inadequacy of white-light cystoscopy to detect flat bladder tumors is well recognized. Great interest exists in developing other imaging technologies to augment or supplant conventional cystoscopy. Fibered confocal microscopy offers the promise of providing in vivo histopathologic information to help distinguish malignant from benign bladder lesions. We report the initial use of this technology to visualize tumors in the human bladder.


METHODS
We performed ex vivo fibered confocal imaging of fresh radical cystectomy specimens using the Mauna Kea Technologies Cellvizio system. The findings were compared with results from standard histopathology.


RESULTS
The bladders of four patients were imaged using the fibered confocal microscope. Normal and neoplastic urothelium manifested differences in cellular and vascular density.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the feasibility of using fibered confocal microscopy to detect histologic differences between normal and neoplastic urothelium, and establishes a foundation for the use of fiber-based confocal microscopy in clinical studies.
Sonn
Geoffrey A
GA
Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5118, USA.
Mach
Kathleen E
KE
Jensen
Kristin
K
Hsiung
Pei-Lin
PL
Jones
Sha-Nita
SN
Contag
Christopher H
CH
Wang
Thomas D
TD
Liao
Joseph C
JC
D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*