OBJECTIVETo investigate the microscopic autofluorescent characteristics of cardiac cancer and autofluorescence distribution in different layers of gastric tissues.

METHODSA double-channel laser scanning confocal microscopy with Argon ion laser (excitation wavelength 488 nm) and Helium-Neon laser (excitation wavelength 543 nm) were used to detect the autofluorescence emitted from 16 surgical specimens of cardiac cancer and corresponding normal gastric tissue. The autofluorescence image was analyzed between the cardiac cancer tissue and normal gastric tissue.

RESULTSAutofluorescence was detected successfully in cardiac carcinoma and corresponding normal gastric corpus tissues of all 16 cases. In different layers of gastric tissue, fluorescence presented the strongest signal in submucosa,the second strong in luminal propria with fluorescence mostly distributed in the glands, fluorescence signal from gastric cancer was significantly decreased compared with those in the different layers of normal tissues (P< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThere are significant differences in the shape, color, distribution and fluorescence intensity of microscopic autofluorescence between cardiac cancer tissues and normal gastric corpus tissues.