Imaging of prostate micro-architecture using three-dimensional wide-field optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Urological Oncology

Background:

• Prostate cancer necessitates advanced diagnostic tools for micro-scale tissue visualization.
• Improved imaging can enhance nerve-sparing surgery and biopsy guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of en face 3D wide-field optical coherence tomography (OCT) for visualizing human prostate micro-architecture.
• To evaluate OCT's potential in differentiating healthy and cancerous prostate tissues.

Main Methods:

• Utilized en face 3D wide-field OCT with a volumetric imaging field-of-view up to 46 × 46 × 1 mm³.
• Examined 18 freshly excised human prostate specimens.
• Co-registered OCT images with wide-field histology for validation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated OCT's capability to visualize micro-architectural details, including nerves (epineurium, perineurium) and blood vessels (tunica intima, tunica media).
• Showcased OCT's ability to distinguish between healthy and cancerous prostate glands.
• Validated OCT findings through co-registration with histology.

Conclusions:

• En face 3D wide-field OCT is a feasible technique for detailed micro-architectural visualization of prostate tissue.
• OCT shows promise as a diagnostic tool for prostate cancer, potentially improving surgical precision and biopsy guidance.