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Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a new optical bioimaging technique was used to evaluate the state of mucosa in the urinary bladder. The state of mucosa of the bladder was evaluated in patients with prostatic adenoma (11 male patients) during the course of prostatectomy operation via a resection cytoscope. An OCT probe was inserted into the biopsy channel of a cystoscope. The sites to be imaged by OCT were determined visually and, after OCT study, underwent excisional biopsy and subsequent histological examination. Children (9 girls) were examined during diagnostic cystoscopy. Our analysis of diagnostic capabilities of OCT in urology relies on the comparison of OCT information on normal and morphologically altered tissues. OCT is able to provide objective data concerning the structure of mucosa of the bladder due to the difference in optical properties of different layers in tissue. The epithelium and the layers of connective tissue, both in norm and pathology, are clearly visualized in the tomograms. Our OCT study of healthy mucosa of the urinary bladder has demonstrated that the epithelium appears in the tomograms as an upper highly backscattering layer. An underlying optically less transparent layer, much greater in size than the previous one, corresponds to the connective tissue of the mucosa. Inside this layer, elongated poorly backscattering formations with clear contours are seen; they do not alter the longitudinal structure of the submucosal layer. These formations are blood vessels. Optical patterns characteristic of chronic inflammation are obtained. They correspond, as confirmed histologically, to liquid accumulation, cellular infiltration of mucosal layers, hypervascularization, and fibrosis. OCT information on proliferative processes, such as papillomatosis of the urinary bladder and squamous cell carcinoma, is analyzed. It is shown that OCT can reliably reveal edema of the mucous membrane of the bladder and identify the character of appearing elements, such bulla, granule and polyp. OCT can provide information on the structure of tissue by characterizing its thickness and scattering properties.
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