Issue 8, 2017

Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for the non invasive diagnosis of clinically inconclusive vulval lichen sclerosus

Abstract

Vulval lichen sclerosus (LS) is a common inflammatory condition associated with an increased risk of developing vulval carcinoma. Diagnosis is usually clinical although biopsy is necessary if the diagnosis is uncertain or if there is a failure to respond to adequate initial treatment. Raman spectroscopy has the potential to be applied in vivo for near real time objective non-invasive optical diagnosis, avoiding the need for invasive tissue biopsies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Raman spectroscopy for differentiating LS from other vulval conditions in fresh vulval biopsies. Biopsies were analysed from 27 women with suspected LS in whom the attending gynaecologist could not establish the diagnosis on clinical presentation alone. Spectral variance was explored using principal component analysis and in conjunction with the histological diagnoses was used to develop and test a multivariate linear discriminant classification model. This model was validated with leave one sample out cross validation and the diagnostic performance of the technique assessed in comparison with the pathology gold standard. After cross validation the technique was able to correctly differentiate LS from other inflammatory vulval conditions with a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 80%. This study demonstrates Raman spectroscopy has potential as a technique for in vivo non-invasive diagnosis of vulval skin conditions. Applied in the clinical setting this technique may reduce the need for invasive tissue biopsy. Further in vivo study is needed to assess the ability of Raman spectroscopy to diagnose other vulval conditions before clinical application.

Graphical abstract: Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for the non invasive diagnosis of clinically inconclusive vulval lichen sclerosus

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 9月 2016
Accepted
03 11月 2016
First published
03 11月 2016

Analyst, 2017,142, 1200-1206

Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for the non invasive diagnosis of clinically inconclusive vulval lichen sclerosus

J. Frost, L. Ludeman, K. Hillaby, R. Gornall, G. Lloyd, C. Kendall, A. C. Shore and N. Stone, Analyst, 2017, 142, 1200 DOI: 10.1039/C6AN02009G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements