Spectrally resolved fluorescence imaging of human colonic adenomas

Native fluorescence (autofluorescence) of human tissues can be a valuable source of diagnostic information for detecting premalignant and malignant lesions in the human body. Digital imaging of autofluorescence may be useful for localization of such lesions during endoscopic examinations. Tissue fluorescence of 31 adenomatous polyps obtained from 16 patients has been excited in vitro using the 325 nm line of a He-Cd laser. Digital images of the autofluorescence are recorded in six spectral bands. This study provides new data about the spatial distributions of autofluorescence intensities emitted in different spectral bands by colonic adenomatous lesions and normal colonic mucosa. Areas characterized by autofluorescence intensity lower than in normal mucosa are found for a majority of the polyps under study. The observed patterns of spatial distribution differ for the different spectral bands and for different polypoid lesions. No inverse correlation is found between the emission intensity and the thickness of colonic mucosa. The results indicate the spectral bands most useful for diagnostic applications and demonstrate the complexity of the optical processes involved in shaping both the spectra and intensities of the autofluorescence.