Characterization of Polarimetric Properties in Various Brain Tumor Types Using Wide-Field Imaging Mueller Polarimetry

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Biomedical Optics
• Pathology

Background:

• Neuro-oncological surgery is crucial for brain cancer treatment, but challenges exist in precisely delineating invasive gliomas.
• Preserving neurological function is paramount, making radical resection often unfeasible.
• Accurate tumor margin delineation is vital for preventing deficits and improving prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of imaging Mueller polarimetry for brain tumor delineation in neurosurgery.
• To characterize the polarimetric properties of fresh brain tumor samples, focusing on gliomas.
• To correlate polarimetric data with histological findings for accurate tissue identification.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 45 polarimetric measurements from 27 fresh brain tumor samples using a wide-field imaging Mueller polarimetric system.
• Integration with a novel neuropathology protocol for correlating polarimetric and histological data.
• Development of an image processing pipeline for aligning and overlaying polarimetric images and histological masks.

Main Results:

• Observed variations in depolarization values between grey and white matter in brain tumor tissue.
• Identified differences in linear retardance specifically within the white matter of brain tumor tissue.
• Detected pronounced optical axis azimuth randomization within tumor regions.

Conclusions:

• Imaging Mueller polarimetry is a promising modality for brain tumor delineation.
• Polarimetric properties offer distinct signatures for different brain tissues and tumor regions.
• This study provides a foundation for machine learning-based tumor segmentation using polarimetric data for intraoperative decision-making.