Direct scanning of pathology specimens using spectral domain optical coherence tomography: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Digital pathology has thus far focused on producing digital images of glass microscope slides. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) can be used to directly scan tissue blocks to produce three-dimensional histology images, potentially bypassing glass slide workflow.


METHODS
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were scanned using SD-OCT and resulting images were compared with corresponding areas on microscope slides.


RESULTS
Low-magnification features were recognizable, including tissue outlines, fat, vessels, and outlines of colonic mucosal crypts. Subtle textures that were suggestive of benign breast lobules and ovarian tumor features were also visible. Initial SD-OCT images lacked resolution and contrast relative to traditional microscopy, but the image content suggests that additional features of interest are present and may be revealed with improved SD-OCT resolution and more post-processing experience. Elucidation of three-dimensional histology and pathology are also future tasks.


CONCLUSIONS
Eventual availability of diagnostic-quality three-dimensional histology would have a profound impact on anatomic pathology.
Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. FINEJL@upmc.edu
Jeffrey L
JL
Fine
Larry
L
Kagemann
Gadi
G
Wollstein
Hiroshi
H
Ishikawa
Joel S
JS
Schuman
D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D010340:Pathology, Surgical; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*