Detection of intestinal dysplasia using angle-resolved low coherence interferometry.
Angle-resolved low coherence interferometry (a/LCI) is an optical biopsy technique that allows for depth-resolved, label-free measurement of the average size and optical density of cell nuclei in epithelial tissue to assess the tissue health. a/LCI has previously been used clinically to identify the presence of dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus patients undergoing routine surveillance. We present the results of a pilot, ex vivo study of tissues from 27 patients undergoing partial colonic resection surgery, conducted to evaluate the ability of a/LCI to identify dysplasia. Performance was determined by comparing the nuclear morphology measurements with pathological assessment of co-located physical biopsies. A statistically significant correlation between increased average nuclear size, reduced nuclear density, and the presence of dysplasia was noted at the basal layer of the epithelium, at a depth of 200 to 300 μm beneath the tissue surface. Using a decision line determined from a receiver operating characteristic, a/LCI was able to separate dysplastic from healthy tissues with a sensitivity of 92.9% (13/14), a specificity of 83.6% (56/67), and an overall accuracy of 85.2% (69/81). The study illustrates the extension of the a/LCI technique to the detection of intestinal dysplasia, and demonstrates the need for future in vivo studies.
Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 136 Hudson Hall, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. neil.terry@duke.edu
Neil
N
Terry
Yizheng
Y
Zhu
Julie K M
JK
Thacker
John
J
Migaly
Cynthia
C
Guy
Christopher R
CR
Mantyh
Adam
A
Wax
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D001706:Biopsy; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D053145:Cell Nucleus Size; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology*; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012372:ROC Curve; D012542:Scattering, Radiation