Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy for clinical diagnosis of actinic cheilitis.

Actinic cheilitis is a potentially malignant disorder of the lips. Its first cause is believed to be UV sun radiation. The lesion is highly heterogeneous, making the choice of area to be biopsied difficult. This study exploits the capabilities of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy for the identification of the most representative area to be biopsied. A preliminary study was performed on fourteen patients. A classification algorithm was used on data acquired on nine different biopsies. The algorithm discriminated between absent, mild, and moderate dysplasia with a sensitivity of 92.9%, 90.0%, and 80.0%, respectively. The false positive rate for healthy tissue (specificity) was 88.8%.