title: Evaluation of stimulated Raman scattering microscopy for identifying squamous cell carcinoma in human skin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a need to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools to achieve early and accurate detection of skin cancer in a non-surgical manner. In this study, we evaluate the capability of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, a potentially non-invasive optical imaging technique, for identifying the pathological features of s squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied ex vivo SCC and healthy skin tissues using SRS microscopy, and compared the SRS contrast with the contrast obtained in reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and standard histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SRS images obtained at the carbon-hydrogen stretching vibration at 2945 cm(-1) exhibit contrast related protein density that clearly delineates the cell nucleus from the cell cytoplasm. The morphological features of SCC tumor seen in the SRS images show excellent correlation with the diagnostic features identified by histological examination. Additionally, SRS exhibits enhanced cellular contrast in comparison to that seen in confocal microscopy. In conclusion, SRS represents an attractive approach for generating protein density maps with contrast that closely resembles histopathological contrast of SCC in human skin.
authors.affiliation: Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, California, 92612; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697.
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balu
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krasieva
authors.forename: Eric O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Potma
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elkeeb
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Zachary
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilder-Smith
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: confocal reflectance microscopy; optical microscopy; skin cancer; squamous cell carcinoma; stimulated Raman scattering