Volumetric in vivo visualization of upper urinary tract tumors using optical coherence tomography: a pilot study

Knowledge of tumor stage and grade is paramount for treatment decision making in cases of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma but this condition cannot be accurately assessed by current techniques. Optical coherence tomography can hypothetically provide the urologist with real-time intraoperative information on tumor grade and stage. In this pilot study we report what are to our knowledge the first results of optical coherence tomography for grading and staging upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Eight consecutive patients underwent ureterorenoscopy for suspicion or followup of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma. Optical coherence tomography data sets were intraoperatively obtained from the ureter and renal pelvis. All patients eventually underwent nephroureterectomy. Optical coherence tomography staging was done by visual inspection of lesions found on optical coherence tomography images. Optical coherence tomography grading was done by quantifying optical coherence tomography signal attenuation in mm(-1) on lesions and comparing results with the histopathological diagnosis. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for statistical analysis.

For 7 in vivo optical coherence tomography diagnoses staging was in accordance with histology. In patient 8 tumor thickness transcended optical coherence tomography imaging depth range and, therefore, invasiveness findings were inconclusive. For grading the median attenuation coefficient for grade 2 and 3 lesions was 1.97 (IQR 1.57-2.30) and 3.53 mm(-1) (IQR 2.74-3.94), respectively (p<0.001). Healthy urothelium was too thin to reliably determine the attenuation coefficient.

Optical coherence tomography is a promising, minimally invasive tool for real-time intraoperative optical diagnosis of tumors in the upper urinary tract. Our results warrant future research in a larger sample size to determine the accuracy of grading and staging by optical coherence tomography, and its possible implementation in the diagnostic algorithm for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.