Abstract
Recurring paediatric tonsilitis is one of the most common problems presented to GPs in the UK, with an annual reported incidence of 37 per 1000 population [1]. Recurring tonsillitis has detrimental effects on children’s quality of life. Often, antibiotic treatment of the infection does not suffice and if a patient has seven or more cases of tonsillitis per year the complete removal of the tonsils is recommended [2]. Studies of tonsillitis infections have been performed previously by Chloe and Faddis, showing the presence of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria within the tonsil crypts, presenting the ultrastructural appearance of a biofilm matrix [3]. We report the first demonstration of mesoscopic imaging of bacterial infection of the palatine tonsil using the Mesolens. The Mesolens, developed at the University of Strathclyde, offers the unique combination of a low magnification (4x) and high numerical aperture (0.47) lens which has an imaging area of 6 mm x 6 mm. The Mesolens can resolve features as small as 700nm laterally and 7um axially [4], this field of view means that the probability of detecting a few bacteria in the specimen is high. Samples were collected via a swab from the surface of unfixed palatine tonsil tissue acquired via tonsillectomy at the NHS Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, which had been transported and stored in PBS for 2 hours before processing. Specimens were prepared using a standard Gram stain protocol. Figure 1 shows a colour brightfield Mesolens image a swab from the tonsil surface. Using the Mesolens to study infection offers an advantage over conventional objective lenses. The large field of view and sub-cellular resolution throughout unlocks the possibility to understand the prevalence of bacteria in larger specimens than can normally be studied with a light microscope, and any infection has a greater chance of being detected.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 16 Sept 2021 |
Event | 13th SINAPSE Annual Scientific Meeting - University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Duration: 16 Sept 2021 → 17 Sept 2021 |
Conference
Conference | 13th SINAPSE Annual Scientific Meeting |
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Abbreviated title | SINAPSE ASM |
City | Glasgow |
Period | 16/09/21 → 17/09/21 |
Other | Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Annual Scientific Meeting. |
Keywords
- tonsil infection
- tonsil (paediatric)
- mesoscopic imaging