Ex vivo Mueller polarimetric imaging of the uterine cervix: a first statistical evaluation.
Early detection through screening plays a major role in reducing the impact of cervical cancer on patients. When detected before the invasive stage, precancerous lesions can be eliminated with very limited surgery. Polarimetric imaging is a potential alternative to the standard screening methods currently used. In a previous proof-of-concept study, significant contrasts have been found in polarimetric images acquired for healthy and precancerous regions of excised cervical tissue. To quantify the ability of the technique to differentiate between healthy and precancerous tissue, polarimetric images of seventeen cervical conization specimens (cone-shaped or cylindrical wedges from the uterine cervix) are compared with results from histopathological diagnoses, which is considered to be the “gold standard.” The sensitivity and specificity of the technique are calculated for images acquired at wavelengths of 450, 550, and 600 nm, aiming to differentiate between high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2-3) and healthy squamous epithelium. To do so, a sliding threshold for the scalar retardance parameter was used for the sample zones, as labeled after histological diagnosis. An optimized value of ∼83% is achieved for both sensitivity and specificity for images acquired at 450 nm and for a threshold scalar retardance value of 10.6 deg. This study paves the way for an application of polarimetry in the clinic.
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau 91128, France.
Jean
J
Rehbinder
Tafila Technical University, Applied Physics Department, Faculty of Science, P.O. Box 179, Tafila 66110, Jordan.
Huda
H
Haddad
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau 91128, France.
Stanislas
S
Deby
CHU de Bicêtre AP-HP, Service d'anatomie pathologique, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre 94270, France.
Benjamin
B
Teig
CHU de Bicêtre AP-HP, Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre 94270, FranceeUniversité Libre de Bruxelles, University Hospital Brugmann, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Place A. Van Gehuchten 4, Brussels.
André
A
Nazac
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau 91128, France.
Tatiana
T
Novikova
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau 91128, France.
Angelo
A
Pierangelo
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau 91128, France.
François
F
Moreau
D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging