Optical biopsy of non-melanin pigmented cutaneous benign and malignant lesions

摘要

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the common use of laser-induced autofluorescence (LIAF) and reflectance spectroscopy (RS) to differentiate disease from normal surrounding tissue - so called optical biopsy method. The goals of this work were investigation of cutaneous benign and malignant lesions by the methods of LIAFS and RS. Spectra from healthy skin areas near to the lesion were detected to be used posteriori to reveal changes between healthy and lesion skin spectra. Before spectral measurements lesions were classified clinically and dermatoscopically by specialist (P.T.). After procedures all lesions were excised and were investigated by standard histological methods. The set-up consists of a nitrogen laser (337 nm, 14 μJ, 10 Hz), halogen lamp (400-900 nm, 50 W), lenses, filters, optical fibers, and a microspectrometer (PC2000, "Ocean Optics", USA). A computer controls these systems. The results, obtained were used to develop multispectral diagnostic algorithms based on the most prominent spectral features from the fluorescence and reflectance spectra of the lesions investigated. In comparison between normal skin and different cutaneous lesion types and between lesion types themselves sensitivities and specificities higher than 90 % were achieved in all cases. These results show a perspective possibility to develop an optical biopsy system for diagnosis and differentiation of the benign and malignant non-melanin pigmented cutaneous lesions with wide clinical applications. Non-invasive and high-sensitive in vivo detection by means of appropriate light sources and detectors should be possible, related to real-time determination of existing pathological conditions.