A system for detecting optical anisotropy of a tissue disposed in front of the ends of a plurality of optical fibers, the system comprising: an optical source (10, 20); an optical detector (30, 40); a processing unit; and a probe; wherein the probe has a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a front end, and a plurality of optical fibers; an end of each of the optical fibers being arranged at the front end of the shaft; wherein at least two of the optical fibers are source optical fibers (S1, S2) adapted to transmit optical radiation emitted from the optical source to a corresponding end of the source optical fiber (S1, S2) for irradiating a tissue adjacent to the front end of the shaft; and wherein at least two of the optical fibers are detector optical fibers (D1, D2) adapted to transmit optical radiation reflected from the tissue to the optical detector (30, 40); wherein the ends of the optical fibers are arranged to define at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2) between the at least two source optical fibers (S1, S2) and the at least two detector optical fibers (D1, D2), wherein said at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2) intersect each other for probing at the point of the intersection a same location within the tissue from a plurality of transversely-oriented directions; and wherein the processor is configured: - to control the optical source (10, 20) to emit optical radiation, - to receive signals generated by the optical detector (30, 40), - to determine from the received signals at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2), each spectrum of the at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2) corresponding to one of the at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2), the measurement of the at least two optical spectra being performed either simultaneously or sequentially; and - to determine the anisotropy of the tissue based on differences between the at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2). an optical source (10, 20); an optical detector (30, 40); a processing unit; and a probe; wherein the probe has a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a front end, and a plurality of optical fibers; an end of each of the optical fibers being arranged at the front end of the shaft; wherein at least two of the optical fibers are source optical fibers (S1, S2) adapted to transmit optical radiation emitted from the optical source to a corresponding end of the source optical fiber (S1, S2) for irradiating a tissue adjacent to the front end of the shaft; and wherein at least two of the optical fibers are detector optical fibers (D1, D2) adapted to transmit optical radiation reflected from the tissue to the optical detector (30, 40); wherein the ends of the optical fibers are arranged to define at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2) between the at least two source optical fibers (S1, S2) and the at least two detector optical fibers (D1, D2), wherein said at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2) intersect each other for probing at the point of the intersection a same location within the tissue from a plurality of transversely-oriented directions; and wherein the processor is configured: - to control the optical source (10, 20) to emit optical radiation, - to receive signals generated by the optical detector (30, 40), - to determine from the received signals at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2), each spectrum of the at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2) corresponding to one of the at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2), the measurement of the at least two optical spectra being performed either simultaneously or sequentially; and - to determine the anisotropy of the tissue based on differences between the at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2). - to control the optical source (10, 20) to emit optical radiation, - to receive signals generated by the optical detector (30, 40), - to determine from the received signals at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2), each spectrum of the at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2) corresponding to one of the at least two optical paths (Lp1, Lp2), the measurement of the at least two optical spectra being performed either simultaneously or sequentially; and - to determine the anisotropy of the tissue based on differences between the at least two optical spectra (Sp1, Sp2).