Abstract

Despite extensive studies of tumor detection using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) the ability of the LIF technique to detect dysplasia, a premalignant flat lesion, has not been demonstrated. LIF has been used to diagnose adenomatous polyps from normal colon tissue with accuracies to 97%.¹ The more difficult task of differentiating adenomatous polyps from hyperplastic polyps yields accuracies of 83%.² The major difference in comparing the fluorescence spectra of normal colon, hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps is a relative decrease of fluorescence observed at 390 nm, attributed to a thickened mucosa which shields strong fluorescence from submucosal collagen.³

© 1994 Optical Society of America