Contrast-enhanced Multispectral optoacoustic tomography for the assessment of the gastrointestinal transit in patients with cystic fibrosis

Hintergrund Cystic fibrosis (CF) can affect the gastrointestinal tract. However, examinations of the gastrointestinal transit usually require invasive measures or the use of ionizing radiation. New imaging techniques, such as multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT), offer new diagnostic approaches. We examined the gastrointestinal passage in CF patients by contrast-enhanced MSOT (CE-MSOT) in order to identify alterations.

Methoden In our clinical study, n=5 patients with cystic fibrosis and n=5 healthy volunteers received a standardized breakfast with ICG. One measurement using MSOT was taken before breakfast and then further 6 over a period of 6 hours. The anatomical regions examined were the gastric antrum, terminal ileum and sigmoid colon to determine the transit time.

Ergebnisse While we were unable to detect any significant increase in the ICG signal measured in the gastric antrum and sigmoid colon during the investigation, a significant change over time in the terminal ileum in both groups in absolute measured values and values normalized to a baseline value were detected. In the healthy patient group, there was a significant increase in the ICG signal after 240 minutes (p<0.01). In the group of patients with cystic fibrosis, this significant increase could be seen at 120 minutes after ICG ingestion (p<0.05). This could indicate a possible faster intestinal transit in the CF patients compared to the healthy control subjects. Signals of ICG were verified in three consecutive stool samples by fluorescence imaging ([Abb. 1]).

Abb. 1  MSOT in CF patientens for the assessment of the transit time

Schlussfolgerung In this study, we demonstrated the clinical performance of MSOT for functional imaging of the intestine in patients with cystic fibrosis. This makes it possible to detect the orally administered dye using MSOT in patients with cystic fibrosis. In future, this could reduce the number of invasive and stressful examinations and integrate new imaging procedures into everyday clinical practice.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. Oktober 2025