Label-free imaging of goblet cells as a marker for differentiating colonic polyps by multiphoton microscopy

Discrimination of adenomas from hyperplastic polyps can reduce the risk of unnecessary complications and healthcare cost. However, it is challenging during colonoscopy screening, and histological analysis remains the ''gold standard'' for the final diagnosis. Here, we describe a label-free imaging method, multiphoton microscopy (MPM), to the discrimination between adenomas and hyperplastic polyps. We find that multiphoton imaging provides cellular and subcellular details to the identification of adenomas from hyperplastic polyps. In particular, there is significant difference in the population density of goblet cells among normal colon, hyperplastic polyp, and adenoma, providing substantial potential to become a quantitative intrinsic marker for in vivo clinical diagnosis of early colonic lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the potential of MPM for differentiation of colonic polyps