Detection of familial adenomatous polyposis with orthogonal polarized spectroscopy of the oral mucosa vasculature

Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the development of multiple colonic polyps at younger age with a near 100% lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. The determination of FAP is made after extensive clinical evaluation and genetic testing of at risk individuals. We investigated a novel spectro‐polarimetric imaging system capable of capturing high‐resolution images of the oral mucosa at different wavelengths in an attempt to distinguish patients with FAP from controls. Results of a clinical trial show that the system is capable of separating FAP positive individuals from controls by measuring the individuals' oral vascular density and complexity. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)