RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Although much progress has been made in diagnosis of carcinomas, no established methods have been confirmed to elucidate their morphological features. METHODS: Three-dimensional structure of esophageal carcinomas was assessed using transparency-enhancing technology. Endoscopically resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was fluorescently stained, optically cleared using a transparency-enhancing reagent called LUCID, and visualized using laser scanning microscopy. The resulting microscope images were converted to virtual HE images for observation using ImageJ software. RESULTS: Microscopic observation and image editing enabled three-dimensional image reconstruction and conversion to virtual HE images. The structure of abnormal blood vessels in esophageal carcinoma recognized by endoscopy could be observed in the 3 dimensions. Squamous cell carcinoma and normal squamous epithelium could be distinguished in the virtual HE images. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that transparency-enhancing technology and virtual HE images may be feasible for clinical application and represent a novel histopathological method for evaluating endoscopically resected specimens.

Asunto(s)

Resección Endoscópica de la Mucosa , Neoplasias Esofágicas , Imagenología Tridimensional , Microscopía Confocal , Humanos , Neoplasias Esofágicas/cirugía , Neoplasias Esofágicas/patología , Resección Endoscópica de la Mucosa/métodos , Imagenología Tridimensional/métodos , Microscopía Confocal/métodos , Masculino , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Esófago/cirugía , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Esófago/patología , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Esófago/diagnóstico por imagen , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/cirugía , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patología , Esofagoscopía/métodos , Anciano , Persona de Mediana Edad , Femenino

RESUMEN

Two-photon, excitation fluorescent microscopy featuring autofluorescence or immunofluorescence, combined with optical clearance using a transparency-enhancing technique, allows deep imaging of three-dimensional (3D) skin structures. However, it remains difficult to obtain high-quality images of individual cells or 3D structures. We combined a new dye with a transparency-enhancing technology and performed high-quality structural analysis of human epidermal structures, especially the acrosyringium. Human fingertip skin samples were collected, formalin-fixed, embedded in both frozen and paraffin blocks, sliced, stained with propidium iodide, optically cleared using a transparency-enhancing technique, and stained with a new fluorescent, solvatochromic pyrene probe. Microscopy revealed fine skin features and detailed epidermal structures including the stratum corneum (horny layer), keratinocytes, eccrine sweat glands, and peripheral nerves. Three-dimensional reconstruction of an entire acrosyringium was possible in one sample. This new fluorescence microscopy technique yields high-quality epidermal images and will aid in histopathological analyses of skin disorders.