Structural and functional 3D mapping of skin tumours with non-invasive multispectral optoacoustic tomography.
BACKGROUND
Recent advances in technology have enabled the development of various non-invasive skin imaging tools to aid real-time diagnosis of both benign and malignant skin tumours, minimizing the need for invasive skin biopsy. Multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) is a recently developed non-invasive imaging tool, which offers the unique capacity for high resolution three dimensional (3D) optical mapping of tissue by further delivering highly specific optical contrast from a depth of several millimetres to centimetres in living tissues. MSOT enables volumetric, spectroscopic differentiation of tissue, both in vivo and in real time, with and without the application of biomarker-specific probes, and is further able of providing spatial maps of skin chromophores, as well as underlying blood vasculature.


METHODS
Three patients with suspicious skin tumours consented to have their lesions imaged with MSOT prior to excision. The histological findings and measurements were compared.


RESULTS
We demonstrated the first in vivo clinical use of MSOT for 3D reconstruction of skin tumours in three patients with good histological correlation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings confirm the potential benefit of the new imaging method in guiding surgical intervention to achieve a more precise excision with better clearance and lower relapse rates. It can also potentially help to shorten the duration of Mohs' micrographic surgery. Further large-scale studies are necessary to ensure correlation between MSOT and histology.
National Skin Centre, Singapore.
S Y
SY
Chuah
Bio-Optical Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore.
A B E
AB
Attia
Department of Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
V
V
Long
Bio-Optical Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore.
C J H
CJ
Ho
Bio-Optical Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore.
P
P
Malempati
Bio-Optical Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore.
C Y
CY
Fu
iThera Medical GmbH, Munich, Germany.
S J
SJ
Ford
National Skin Centre, Singapore.
J S S
JS
Lee
National Skin Centre, Singapore.
W P
WP
Tan
Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany.
D
D
Razansky
Bio-Optical Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore.|School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
M
M
Olivo
National Skin Centre, Singapore.
S
S
Thng
D000368:Aged; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000379:methods*
3D mapping; Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography; histopathology; imaging; skin tumours