Optical coherence tomography diagnostics for onco–urology. Review of clinical perspectives

INTRODUCTION: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is being investigated widely for use in urologic pathology. The current imaging of urogenital cancers cannot be perfect, thus, routine methods demands new updates or inventions of alternative radiological scope. OCT presents so–called “live” optical biopsy. The authors aim to review this modality for uro–oncological purposes. MATHERIAL AND METHODS: A series of 37 publications between 1989 and 2012 was selected and cited from GoogleScholar and PubMED/MEDLINE. The urogenital tract (bladder, ureter, scrotum organs and prostate) was imaged by OCT. RESULTS: The overall OCT sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative and positive predictive values ranged a lot on example of the urinary bladder's tumors screening. The data were 75–100%, 65–97.9%, 92%, 75%, 100%, respectively. Notwithstanding, a diagnostic importance of OCT may be comparable with urine cytology, cystoscopy, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSIONS: OCT demonstrated its imaging potential, while till the present OCT plays role of an additional imaging. Future progress of OCT involvement in experimental and clinical once–urological diagnostics is needed under high evidence control.