CHAPTER 27: The New Possibilities of Autofluorescence Diagnosis in Clinical Practice

Autofluorescence diagnosis is a modality of imaging of cancerous and precancerous tissues based on the natural phenomenon of the emission of light from porphyrins that are excited by light being selectively absorbed in tissues with fast metabolism. The other mechanism of the differentiation of tissues is based on architectonical differences between healthy and cancerous tissues. Modern oncology requires minimally invasive methods of imaging, especially in the early stages of neoplastic diseases. In autofluorescence diagnosis, it is possible to measure autofluorescence parameters and to perform real-time image processing during endoscopic examination in order to improve the quality of imaging and to show the places from where the biopsy specimens should be taken. In the clinical department, autofluorescence plays a crucial role as a fast and minimally invasive method of tissue examination in many specialties, such as gastroenterology, pulmonology, dermatology, urology and gynecology. In Chapter 27, the authors describe updated aspects of autofluorescence imaging in modern diagnostic division and present the possible places and indications for autofluorescence imaging in clinical diagnosis.