The Reddish-Orange Fluorescence of Necrotic Cancerous Surfaces Under the Wood Light

Fluorescence spectroscopy: A technique with potential to improve the early detection of aerodigestive tract neoplasia

“…The increased red fluorescence of oral cavity tumors compared with the surrounding normal mucosa was one of the first observations made regarding fluorescent characteristics of abnormal tissues. 2,19 The red fluorescence of tumors has been attributed to porphyrin, 20 and in a more recent work, Ghadially 21 indicated that it is due to protoporphyrin. Porphyrins are intermediate products generated during the synthesis of the metaloporphyrins such as heme, and though the concentration of porphyrins in tissue is normally low, abnormalities in the synthesis pathway of heme can result in the accumulation of porphyrin.…”

M�glichkeiten und Grenzen der Fluoreszenzdiagnostik und photodynamischen Therapie

“…Im Jahre 1924 beschrieb Policard erstmalig das Auftreten endogener, rotfluoreszierender Porphyrine in oberflächlichen humanen Neoplasien [56]. Erst 3 Jahrzehnte später nahm die Entwicklung einen weiteren wichtigen Schritt durch die Beobachtung, dass eine Ulzeration meist ursächlich für die Ausbildung einer Rotfluoreszenz auf humanen Spinaliomen verantwortlich ist [61,62].…”

Analysis of the porphyrin content of fluorescent pus by absorption spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography

“…He suggested that spore-forming organisms were probably involved, as the phenomenon could be reproduced if a boiled faecal suspension was used, and that some kind of "helper bacteria" were apparently needed. Ronchese et al 3 reported red fluorescence of the necrotic, ulcerated surfaces of squamous cell epitheliomas, of necrotic adenocarcinomas of the breast, and of facial fibrosarcoma. This was the first study that attempted to relate fluorescence to the bacterial flora : Streptomyces albus was isolated Received 15 Jan. 1990; accepted 23 Feb.…”