Evaluation Of Oral Tissues Associated With Leukoplakia

Office Of The Director, Nih

Investigators

Abstract

Leukoplakia is characterized from an optical viewpoint by changes in the light scattering and optical absorption properties of the mucosal lining of the mouth. Cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors are being evaluated as potential therapeutic modalities for the treatment of this disease. Instrumentation is being developed to provide a quantitative assessment of the observed change in the appearance of the affected regions of a patient's mouth in response to the Cox-inhibitors. One optical approach being assessed is optical coherence tomography (OCT). This technique provides non-invasive images of the tissue layers comparable to those obtained from histology following biopsy. However, it is expensive and unwieldy requiring sophisticated instrumentation support and skilled personnel to operate. A new optical approach is being evaluated and instrumentation developed as an alternative to OCT. Light, at a number of different incident angles, is introduced into the tissue at a single point and the subsequent re-emitted light, after propagating through the tissue undergoing scattering and absorption, is measured at a series of distal points from the point of insertion. Analysis of the data for intensity and spectral distribution provides a measure of the thickness of the mucosal layer and the spectral signature of the chromophores present in the sub-mucosal layer. Appropriate comparison with OCT will be made to determine the potential of this new instrumentation as an inexpensive alternative to OCT as a clinical tool for monitoring patients with leukoplakia.