Abstract
Introduction: For patients with suspected lung cancer, fast and accurate tissue diagnosis is important for optimal treatment allocation. A promising technique for instant tissue analysis is higher harmonic generation (HHG) microscopy, a laser-based imaging technique, that provides real-time images with submicron resolution without the need of tissue processing. The study aim was to compare instant HHG microscopy findings with the gold standard histopathology on bronchoscopic samples.
Methods: Patients undergoing diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy for suspected lung cancer were included. Unprocessed biopsies were imaged within minutes with a mobile HHG microscope. Subsequently, biopsies were processed according to routine pathological practice and compared with HHG images.
Results: 29 biopsies from 11 patients were imaged. Histology was adenocarcinoma (n=3), typical carcinoid (n=1), squamous carcinoma (n=1), and non-malignant (n=6). Discriminating pathological hallmarks were identified, including disrupted alveolar architecture, increased cellularity, pleomorphism, fibrosis, elastosis, and presence of specific cells, i.e. epithelial cells, tumor cells, and macrophages (Figure 1).
Conclusion: HHG microscopy can instantly identify pathological hallmarks in small bronchoscopic biopsies without the need of tissue processing. This may reduce the need for the number of biopsy samples, and reduce endoscopy time.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, OA4319.
This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2021
