Differentiating the two main histologic categories of fibroadenoma tissue from normal breast tissue by using multiphoton microscopy

• Published in: Journal of microscopy (Oxford) 2015-04, Vol.258 (1), p.79-85
• Main Authors: NIE, Y.T., WU, Y., FU, F.M., LIAN, Y.E., ZHUO, S.M., WANG, C., CHEN, J.X.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - ultrastructure; Collagen; Collagen - analysis; Collagen - ultrastructure; Female; Fibroadenoma; Fibroadenoma - diagnosis; Fibroadenoma - ultrastructure; Humans; Microscopy; Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton - methods; Morphology; multiphoton microscopy; normal breast tissue; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-2720; 1365-2818
• DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12219

Summary Multiphoton microscopy has become a novel biological imaging technique that allows cellular and subcellular microstructure imaging based on two‐photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation. In this work, we used multiphoton microscopy to obtain the high‐contrast images of human normal breast tissue and two main histologic types of fibroadenoma (intracanalicular, pericanalicular). Moreover, quantitative image analysis was performed to characterize the changes of collagen morphology (collagen content, collagen orientation). The results show that multiphoton microscopy combined with quantitative method has the ability to identify the characteristics of fibroadenoma including changes of the duct architecture and collagen morphology in stroma. With the advancement of multiphoton microscopy, we believe that the technique has great potential to be a real‐time histopathological diagnostic tool for intraoperative detection of fibroadenoma in the future. Lay Description Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) has become a novel biological imaging technique that allows cellular and subcellular microstructure imaging based on two‐photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG). In this paper, we use multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to obtain the high‐contrast images of fresh, unfixed, unstained human breast specimens (normal breast tissue, two main histologic types of fibroadenoma). Our results show that MPM has the ability to identify the characteristics of fibroadenoma including changes of the duct architecture and collagen morphology. These results are consistent with the gold standard histopathology. Moreover, SHG images analysis was performed to characterize the changes of collagen morphology (collagen content, collagen orientation). With the advancement of MPM, the technique has potential ability to serve as a real‐time histopathological diagnostic tool for intraoperative detection of breast tumor in the future.