Chromatic analysis of autofluorescence emitted from squamous cell carcinomas arising in the oral cavity: a preliminary study.

Chromatic analysis was carried out to characterize the color quality of autofluorescence emitted from oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and to objectively compare autofluorescence among various tissues. The following specimens were studied: 33 SCC, 3 epithelial dysplasias, 39 benign lesions, 31 dorsa of the tongue and 18 dental plaques. Autofluorescence depicted on fluorescence photographs was measured with a chroma meter. Chromatic values of autofluorescence differed significantly between SCC and non-cancerous tissues and between different stages of SCC. Autofluorescence of SCC tended to shift from orange to reddish orange with advancement of stage. These results suggest that autofluorescence of oral SCC chromatically differs from that of other tissues and depends on the stage of cancer.