Cervical cancer is still one of the most relevant women cancer types, since the 5-year survival rate is of only around 68%. Prevention and early diagnosis are the best strategies to improve cervical cancer prognosis. Conventional diagnosis procedure in Gynecology is mainly based on the macroscopic clinical evaluation, Pap smear cytology, and biopsy, if needed. A portable microscope with dual configuration and its use for diagnosis in Gynecology is investigated. The microscope has interchangeable parts that allow its use for cytopathology smear samples or in situ endoscopic tissue interrogation, both using acriflavine as a nuclei marker. Patients of the Women Ambulatory of the School of Medicine (UNIARA, Araraquara, Brazil) were interrogated during the colposcopy examination. The cervix was initially cleaned using an acetic acid solution, and a 0.05% (wt/vol) acriflavine in saline solution was topically applied at the tissue surface using a cotton swab. Microendoscopy images were taken from clinically normal cervix mucosa and from detected lesions. An image processing is performed to evaluate the cell nuclei morphology and the cytoplasm/nuclei ratio. The Pap smear results and the histology analyses are taken as gold standard for the diagnosis. Preliminary results in 5 patients demonstrated the potential use of our microscope at the clinical setting.
Optical techniques has been described as auxiliary technology for screening of neoplasia because shows the potential for tissues differentiation in real-time and it is a noninvasive detection and safe. However, only endogenous fluorophores presents the lesion may be insufficient and needed of the administration of the fluorophores synthesized, such as, precursor molecule of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) induced by 5- aminolevulinic acid and your derivatives. Topical application of methylaminolevulinate (MAL), induces formation of the endogenous photosensitizer, PpIX in tissues where carcinogenesis has begun. The PpIX tend to accumulate in premalignant and malignant tissues and the illumination with light with appropriate wavelength beginning to excitation of PpIX fluorescence, which helps to localize PpIX-rich areas and identify potentially malignant tissues. The aim of the study is to evaluate the production of PpIX in the cervix with CIN I through of the fluorescence images captured after 1 hour of cream application. It was possible to visualize PpIX fluorescence in cervix and it was possible to observe the selectivity in fluorescence in squamous-columnar junction, which a pre-cancerous condition (CIN) and usually is localized. Through the image processing it was possible to quantify the increase of red fluorescence. For the CIN I the increase of red fluorescence was approximately of 4 times indicating a good PpIX formation.
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is the precursor of invasive cervical cancer and associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a technique that has been used for the treatment of tumors. PDT is based on the accumulation of a photosensitizer in target cells that will generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species upon illumination, inducing the death of abnormal tissue and PDT with less damaging to normal tissues than surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy and seems to be a promising alternative procedure for CIN treatment. The CIN high grades (II and III) presents potential indications for PDT due the success of PDT for CIN low grade treatment. The patients with CIN high grade that were treated with new clinic protocol shows lesion regression to CIN low grade 60 days after the treatment. The new clinical protocol using for treatment of CIN high grade shows great potential to become a public health technique.
Optical images have been used in several medical situations to improve diagnosis of lesions or to monitor
treatments. However, most systems employ expensive scientific (CCD or CMOS) cameras and need computers
to display and save the images, usually resulting in a high final cost for the system. Additionally, this sort of
apparatus operation usually becomes more complex, requiring more and more specialized technical knowledge
from the operator. Currently, the number of people using smartphone-like devices with built-in high quality
cameras is increasing, which might allow using such devices as an efficient, lower cost, portable imaging system
for medical applications. Thus, we aim to develop methods of adaptation of those devices to optical medical
imaging techniques, such as fluorescence. Particularly, smartphones covers were adapted to connect a
smartphone-like device to widefield fluorescence imaging systems. These systems were used to detect lesions in
different tissues, such as cervix and mouth/throat mucosa, and to monitor ALA-induced protoporphyrin-IX
formation for photodynamic treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia. This approach may contribute
significantly to low-cost, portable and simple clinical optical imaging collection.
The use of portable electronic devices, in particular mobile phones such as smartphones is increasing not only for all known applications, but also for diagnosis of diseases and monitoring treatments like topical Photodynamic Therapy. The aim of the study is to evaluate the production of the photosensitizer Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) after topical application of a cream containing methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) in the cervix with diagnosis of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) through the fluorescence images captured after one and three hours and compare the images using two devices (a Sony Xperia® mobile and an Apple Ipod®. Was observed an increasing fluorescence intensity of the cervix three hours after cream application, in both portable electronic devices. However, because was used a specific program for the treatment of images using the Ipod® device, these images presented better resolution than observed by the Sony cell phone without a specific program. One hour after cream application presented a more selective fluorescence than the group of three hours. In conclusion, the use of portable devices to obtain images of PpIX fluorescence shown to be an effective tool and is necessary the improvement of programs for achievement of better results.
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