Preliminary results of ex vivo multispectral photoacoustic imaging in the management of thyroid cancer

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate whether ex vivo multispectral photoacoustic imaging can be used to differentiate malignant tissue, benign nodules, and normal human thyroid tissue.

Subjects and methods: Fifty patients undergoing thyroidectomy because of thyroid lesions participated in this study. Multispectral photoacoustic imaging was performed on surgically excised thyroid tissue, and chromophore images that represented optical absorption of deoxyhemoglobin, oxyhemoglobin, lipid, and water were reconstructed. After the imaging procedure, the pathologist marked malignant tissue, benign nodules, and normal regions on histopathologic slides, and digital images of the marked histopathologic slides were obtained. The histopathologic images were coregistered with chromophore images. Areas corresponding to malignant tissue, benign nodules, and normal tissue were defined on the chromophore images. Pixel values within each area were averaged to determine the mean intensities of deoxyhemoglobin, oxyhemoglobin, lipid, and water.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference between malignant and benign nodules with respect to mean intensity of deoxyhemoglobin (p = 0.014). There was a difference between malignant and normal tissue in mean intensity of deoxyhemoglobin (p = 0.003), lipid (p = 0.001), and water (p < 0.0001). A difference between benign nodules and normal tissue was found in mean intensity of oxyhemoglobin (p < 0.0001), lipid (p < 0.0001), and water (p < 0.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the system tested in differentiating malignant from nonmalignant thyroid tissue were 69.2%, 96.9%, 81.8%, and 93.9%.

Conclusion: The preliminary results of this ex vivo human thyroid study suggest that multispectral photoacoustic imaging can be used to differentiate malignant and benign nodules and normal human thyroid tissue.