Understanding the Biological Basis of Autofluorescence Imaging for Oral Cancer Detection: High-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy in Viable Tissue

Abstract

Imaging oral lesions with optical devices/probes that sample mostly stromal fluorescence may result in a similar loss of fluorescence intensity and may fail to distinguish benign from precancerous lesions. Improved diagnostic accuracy may be achieved by designing optical probes/devices that distinguish epithelial fluorescence from stromal fluorescence and by using excitation wavelengths in the UV range.