IMPROVEMENT OF AUTOFLUORESCENCE IMAGING METHOD IN DETECTION OF CANCEROUS LESIONS OF THE ORAL MUCOSA

Abstract

Purpose: to optimize the diagnostic method for detecting neoplasms of the oral mucosa. Materials and methods: The study group included 32 people with lesions of the oral mucosa: lichen planus — 17; chronic mechanical injury (decubital ulcer) — 15. The authors have proposed a method for diagnosing erosive and ulcerative elements of the oral mucosa, which consists in staining pathological foci with a 1% solution of tuloidine blue followed by autofluorescence imaging. The effectiveness of autofluorescence imaging by «AFS» stomatoscope, staining and a combination of two methods in visualizing the boundaries of precancerous lesions of the oral mucosa was determined. Results and discussion: The technique of autofluorescence imaging by «AFS» stomatoscope, in 63.7% incorrectly diagnosed patients with cancer of the oral mucosa, in addition, 27.3% did not reveal malignant neoplasms. Marking the lesion elements with a 1% toluidine blue solution and their illumination with autofluorescence imaging, made it possible to establish a dark glow zone in those cases (27.3%) when imaging did not identify the pathological focus as an area without fluorescence. In all patients with malignant neoplasms of the oral mucosa diagnosed by autofluorescence imaging with staining, a truly positive result was confirmed by morphometric data. Conclusion: Autofluorescence imaging with staining has a high sensitivity and specificity of 100%, and is 2 times more effective than autofluorescence imaging in the diagnosis of dysplasia of erosive and ulcerative elements of the oral mucosa.