Confocal Microscopy for Real Time Detection of Oral Cavity Neoplasia
Abstract
The goal of this study was to characterize features of normal and neoplastic oral mucosa using reflectance confocal microscopy. Oral cavity biopsies were acquired from 17 patients at the Head and Neck Clinic of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center who were undergoing surgery for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) within the oral cavity. Reflectance confocal images were obtained at multiple image plane depths from biopsies within 6 hours of excision. Following imaging biopsies were fixed in 10% formalin and submitted for routine histologic examination. Reflectance confocal images were compared to histologic images from the same sample to determine which tissue features contribute to image contrast and can be potentially imaged using in vivo confocal microscopy. Confocal images were successfully acquired from 15 biopsy pairs from 17 patients. Depth-related changes in cell diameter and nuclear density were observed at multiple anatomic sites within the oral cavity. In SCCs, densely packed, pleomorphic tumor nuclei could be visualized with distinct differences in nuclear density and morphology distinguishable between confocal images of neoplastic and non-neoplastic oral cavity. Other features of non-cancerous and cancerous oral tissue that could be identified in the confocal images included areas of inflammation, fibrosis, muscle fibers and salivary glands. The results support the potential for this tool to play a significant role in the clinical evaluation of oral lesions, real-time identification of tumor margins, and monitoring of response to therapeutic treatment. (2 tables, 9 figures, 34 refs.)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA418050
Entities
People
- A. Gillenwater
- A. K. El-naggar
- Anne L. Clark
- R. Alizadeh-naderi
- T. Collier
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin