Photoacoustic imaging for three-dimensional visualization and delineation of basal cell carcinoma in patients

Ulf Dahlstrand; Rafi Sheikh; Aboma Merdasa; Rehan Chakari; Bertil Persson; Magnus Cinthio; Tobias Erlöv; Bodil Gesslein; Malin Malmsjö

doi:10.1016/j.pacs.2020.100187

Photoacoustic imaging for three-dimensional visualization and delineation of basal cell carcinoma in patients

Photoacoustics. 2020 May 5:18:100187. doi: 10.1016/j.pacs.2020.100187. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Authors

Ulf Dahlstrand¹, Rafi Sheikh¹, Aboma Merdasa¹, Rehan Chakari¹, Bertil Persson², Magnus Cinthio³, Tobias Erlöv³, Bodil Gesslein¹, Malin Malmsjö¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Ophthalmology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
² Department of Dermatology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
³ Faculty of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging non-invasive biomedical imaging modality that could potentially be used to determine the borders of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) preoperatively in order to reduce the need for repeated surgery.

Methods: Two- and three-dimensional PA images were obtained by scanning BCCs using 59 wavelengths in the range 680-970 nm. Spectral unmixing was performed to visualize the tumor tissue distribution. Spectral signatures from 38 BCCs and healthy tissue were compared ex vivo.

Results and discussion: The PA spectra could be used to differentiate between BCC and healthy tissue ex vivo (p < 0.05). Spectral unmixing provided visualization of the overall architecture of the lesion and its border.

Conclusion: PA imaging can be used to differentiate between BCC and healthy tissue and can potentially be used to delineate tumors prior to surgical excision.

Keywords: Basal cell carcinoma; Basalioma; Human; Patients; Photoacoustic imaging; Spectral unmixing; Tissue differentiation.