Characteristics of examination algorithm of patients with chronic trauma of the oral mucosa using tissue autofluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract

Relevance. The paper demonstrates the need to implement modern diagnostic techniques for diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions at early or preclinical stages. Additional diagnostic methods are necessary, e.g. tissue autofluorescence, which allows revealing insidious pathological risk zones, particularly precancerous and cancerous lesions, to evaluate the condition of the oral tissues in patients with chronic oral mucosa disorders, especially caused by trauma. Purpose – to assess trauma-specific effectiveness of autofluorescence spectroscopy (AFS) in risk group patients with chronic trauma of the oral mucosa to reveal early malignization signs.Materials and methods. 25 subjects were selected for the study and divided into 2 groups: main group – 20 patients with different manifestations of chronic oral mucosa trauma; control group – 5 subjects without visible clinical manifestations and without oral trauma factors. Autofluorescence spectroscopy was performed in both groups using AFS-400 stomatoscope.Results. The received data demonstrated that the change in autofluorescence doesn’t allow drawing final conclusions on the presence or absence of chronic oral trauma malignization signs.Conclusion. AFS-400 stomatoscope may be effective in differentiating between healthy and damaged tissues, but there is no solid evidence that the change in fluorescence shade can help differentiate between various types of damaged tissues. Autofluorescence spectroscopy should be considered as an additional method for examination of patients with chronic oral mucosa trauma to reveal early malignization signs.