DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTICS OF THYROID GLAND PATHOLOGY USING POLARIZATION MAPPING AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF POLARIZATION AZIMUTH MAPS OF DIGITAL MICROSCOPIC IMAGES OF BLOOD FACES
Authors: Bilookyi O.V. , Ushenko O. , Bilookyi V. , Tomka Yu. , Sklyarchuk V. 
Published: November 2024

Introduction. The development of Mueller matrix method was a significant advance in biomedical polarimetric diagnostics, leading to the creation of a separate field of Mueller matrix microscopy. The creation of new, well-reproducible, and more accurate methods of laser polarimetry remains very relevant.
Aim. This study aims to establish new objective criteria (markers) for minimally invasive differential diagnosis of thyroid pathology using polarization-interference mapping.Material and methods. Four groups of donors and sick patients were studied: 1. Control group 1 - healthy donors (51 patients). 2. Research group 2 – patients with nodular goiter (51 patients). 3. Research group 3 – patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (51 patients). 4. Research group 4 – patients with papillary cancer (51 patients). Dehydrated films (facies) of blood served as the objects of the study.Research results. The analysis of the results of the statistical analysis of the integral maps of the polarization azimuth of the digital microscopic images of the blood facies of the control and the totality of the experimental groups revealed:Consistent growth of the statistical average within individual representative samples of the average 〖SM〗_1 distribution α(m,n) from 0.73 to 1.14.Intergroup differences 〖SM〗_1 (α) were statistically significant at the p_ik≤0.05 level.The value of variance 〖SM〗_2 of distributions α(m,n) ranges from 0.43 to 0.61 and is statistically significant only for detecting pathology [p_(12;13;14)≤0.05], not its differentiation [p_(23;24;34)>0.05].The maximum sensitivity to intergroup changes in the statistical structure of azimuth polarization maps of statistical moments of higher orders, which characterize the asymmetry and excess of distributions of random values of the angle of rotation of the polarization plane of laser radiation in the points of digital microscopic images.Asymmetry 〖SM〗_3 (α) varies statistically significantly [p_(12;13;14)≤0.001; p_(23;24;34)≤0.05] from 0.39 to 0.67.The kurtosis 〖SM〗_4 (α) varies statistically significantly (p_ik≤0.001) from 0.53 to 0.89.Conclusion. The results of information analysis of the data of the method of polarization-interference mapping with digital holographic reproduction of layer-by-layer maps of polarization azimuths of digital microscopic images of blood facies revealedAim. This study aims to establish new objective criteria (markers) for minimally invasive differential diagnosis of thyroid pathology using polarization-interference mapping.Material and methods. Four groups of donors and sick patients were studied: 1. Control group 1 - healthy donors (51 patients). 2. Research group 2 – patients with nodular goiter (51 patients). 3. Research group 3 – patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (51 patients). 4. Research group 4 – patients with papillary cancer (51 patients). Dehydrated films (facies) of blood served as the objects of the study.Research results. The analysis of the results of the statistical analysis of the integral maps of the polarization azimuth of the digital microscopic images of the blood facies of the control and the totality of the experimental groups revealed:Consistent growth of the statistical average within individual representative samples of the average 〖SM〗_1 distribution α(m,n) from 0.73 to 1.14.Intergroup differences 〖SM〗_1 (α) were statistically significant at the p_ik≤0.05 level.The value of variance 〖SM〗_2 of distributions α(m,n) ranges from 0.43 to 0.61 and is statistically significant only for detecting pathology [p_(12;13;14)≤0.05], not its differentiation [p_(23;24;34)>0.05].The maximum sensitivity to intergroup changes in the statistical structure of azimuth polarization maps of statistical moments of higher orders, which characterize the asymmetry and excess of distributions of random values of the angle of rotation of the polarization plane of laser radiation in the points of digital microscopic images.Asymmetry 〖SM〗_3 (α) varies statistically significantly [p_(12;13;14)≤0.001; p_(23;24;34)≤0.05] from 0.39 to 0.67.The kurtosis 〖SM〗_4 (α) varies statistically significantly (p_ik≤0.001) from 0.53 to 0.89.Conclusion. The results of information analysis of the data of the method of polarization-interference mapping with digital holographic reproduction of layer-by-layer maps of polarization azimuths of digital microscopic images of blood facies revealed Aim. This study aims to establish new objective criteria (markers) for minimally invasive differential diagnosis of thyroid pathology using polarization-interference mapping.Material and methods. Four groups of donors and sick patients were studied: 1. Control group 1 - healthy donors (51 patients). 2. Research group 2 – patients with nodular goiter (51 patients). 3. Research group 3 – patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (51 patients). 4. Research group 4 – patients with papillary cancer (51 patients). Dehydrated films (facies) of blood served as the objects of the study.Research results. The analysis of the results of the statistical analysis of the integral maps of the polarization azimuth of the digital microscopic images of the blood facies of the control and the totality of the experimental groups revealed:Consistent growth of the statistical average within individual representative samples of the average 〖SM〗_1 distribution α(m,n) from 0.73 to 1.14.Intergroup differences 〖SM〗_1 (α) were statistically significant at the p_ik≤0.05 level.The value of variance 〖SM〗_2 of distributions α(m,n) ranges from 0.43 to 0.61 and is statistically significant only for detecting pathology [p_(12;13;14)≤0.05], not its differentiation [p_(23;24;34)>0.05].The maximum sensitivity to intergroup changes in the statistical structure of azimuth polarization maps of statistical moments of higher orders, which characterize the asymmetry and excess of distributions of random values of the angle of rotation of the polarization plane of laser radiation in the points of digital microscopic images.Asymmetry 〖SM〗_3 (α) varies statistically significantly [p_(12;13;14)≤0.001; p_(23;24;34)≤0.05] from 0.39 to 0.67.The kurtosis 〖SM〗_4 (α) varies statistically significantly (p_ik≤0.001) from 0.53 to 0.89.Conclusion. The results of information analysis of the data of the method of polarization-interference mapping with digital holographic reproduction of layer-by-layer maps of polarization azimuths of digital microscopic images of blood facies revealed an increase in the sensitivity of this method to a significant level (~91%-93%).