Optical Coherence Tomography In Dermatology Research Articles

Skin Imaging Using Optical Coherence Tomography and Photoacoustic Imaging: A Mini-Review

This article provides an overview of the progress made in skin imaging using two emerging imaging modalities, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI). Over recent years, these technologies have significantly advanced our understanding of skin structure and function, offering non-invasive and high-resolution insights previously unattainable. The review begins by briefly describing the fundamental principles of how OCT and PAI capture images. It then explores the evolving applications of OCT in dermatology, ranging from diagnosing skin disorders to monitoring treatment responses. This article continues by briefly describing the capabilities of PAI imaging, and how PAI has been used for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer detection and characterization, vascular imaging, and more. The third section describes the development of multimodal skin imaging systems that include OCT, PAI, or both modes. A comparative analysis between OCT and PAI is presented, elucidating their respective strengths, limitations, and synergies in the context of skin imaging.

Applications and future directions for optical coherence tomography in dermatology*

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive optical imaging method that can generate high-resolution en face and cross-sectional images of the skin in vivo to a maximum depth of 2mm. While OCT holds considerable potential for noninvasive diagnosis and disease monitoring, it is poorly understood by many dermatologists. Here we aim to equip the practising dermatologist with an understanding of the principles of skin OCT and the potential clinical indications. We begin with an introduction to the technology and discuss the different modalities of OCT including angiographic (dynamic) OCT, which can image cutaneous blood vessels at high resolution. Next we review clinical applications. OCT has been most extensively investigated in the diagnosis of keratinocyte carcinomas, particularly basal cell carcinoma. To date, OCT has not proven sufficiently accurate for the robust diagnosis of malignant melanoma; however, the evaluation of abnormal vasculature with angiographic OCT is an area of active investigation. OCT, and in particular angiographic OCT, also shows promise in monitoring the response to therapy of inflammatory dermatoses, such as psoriasis and connective tissues disease. We additionally discuss a potential role for artificial intelligence in improving the accuracy of interpretation of OCT imaging data.

Application of optical coherence tomography in clinical diagnosis.

BACKGROUND:Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive diagnosing tool used in clinics. Due to its high resolution (<10um), it is appropriate for the early detection of tiny infections. It has been widely used in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, and monitoring of various physiological and pathological processes.OBJECTIVE:To systemically review literature to summarize the clinic application of OCT in recent years.METHODS:For clinic applications that OCT has been applied, we selected studies that describe the most relevant works. The discussion included: 1) which tissue could be used in the OCT detection, 2) which character of different tissue could be used as diagnosing criteria, 3) which diseases and pathological process have been diagnosed or monitored using OCT imaging, and 4) the recent development of clinic OCT diagnosing.RESULTS:The literature showed that the OCT had been listed as a routine test choice for ophthalmic diseases, while the first commercial product for cardiovascular OCT detection had gotten clearance. Meanwhile, as the development of commercial benchtop OCT equipment and tiny fiber probe, the commercial application of OCT in dermatology, dentistry, gastroenterology and urology also had great potential in the near future.CONCLUSIONS:The analysis and discussions showed that OCT, as an optical diagnosing method, has been used successfully in many clinical fields, and has the potential to be a standard inspection method in several clinic fields, such as dermatology, dentistry and cardiovascular.

Potential of contrast agents to enhance in vivo confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography in dermatology: A review.

Distinction between normal skin and pathology can be a diagnostic challenge. This systematic review summarizes how various contrast agents, either topically delivered or injected into the skin, affect distinction between skin disease and normal skin when imaged by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal microscopy (CM). A systematic review of in vivo OCT and CM studies using exogenous contrast agents on healthy human skin or skin disease was performed. In total, nine CM studies and one OCT study were eligible. Four contrast agents aluminum chloride (AlCl) n = 2, indocyanine green (ICG) n = 3, sodium fluorescein n = 3 and acetic acid n = 1 applied to CM in variety of skin diseases. ICG, acetic acid and AlCl showed promise to increase contrast of tumor nests in keratinocyte carcinomas. Fluorescein and ICG enhanced contrast of keratinocytes and adnexal structures. In OCT of healthy skin gold nanoshells, increased contrast of natural skin openings. Contrast agents may improve delineation and diagnosis of skin cancers; ICG, acetic acid and AlCl have potential in CM and gold nanoshells facilitate visualization of adnexal skin structures in OCT. However, as utility of bedside optical imaging increases, further studies with robust methodological quality are necessary to implement contrast agents into routine dermatological practice.

Advances in optical coherence tomography in dermatology-a review.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was introduced as an imaging system, but like ultrasonography, other measures, such as blood perfusion and polarization of light, have enabled the technology to approach clinical utility. This review aims at providing an overview of the advances in clinical research based on the improving technical aspects. OCT provides cross-sectional and en face images down to skin depths of 0.4 to 2.00mm with optical resolution of 3 to 15 μm. Dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) enables the visualization of cutaneous microvasculature via detection of rapid changes in the interferometric signal of blood flow. Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most comprehensively investigated topic, resulting in improved descriptions of morphological features and diagnostic criteria. A refined scoring system for diagnosing NMSC, taking findings from conventional and D-OCT into account, is warranted. OCT diagnosis of melanoma is hampered by the resolution and the optical properties of melanin. D-OCT may be of value in diseases characterized with dynamic changes in the vasculature of the skin and the addition of functional measures is strongly encouraged. In conclusion, OCT in dermatology is still an emerging technology that has great potential for improving further in the future.

The value of ultrahigh resolution OCT in dermatology - delineating the dermo-epidermal junction, capillaries in the dermal papillae and vellus hairs.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the skin is gaining recognition and is increasingly applied to dermatological research. A key dermatological parameter inferred from an OCT image is the epidermal (Ep) thickness as a thickened Ep can be an indicator of a skin disease. Agreement in the literature on the signal characters of Ep and the subjacent skin layer, the dermis (D), is evident. Ambiguities of the OCT signal interpretation in the literature is however seen for the transition region between the Ep and D, which from histology is known as the dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ); a distinct junction comprised of the lower surface of a single cell layer in epidermis (the stratum basale) connected to an even thinner membrane (the basement membrane). The basement membrane is attached to the underlying dermis. In this work we investigate the impact of an improved axial and lateral resolution on the applicability of OCT for imaging of the skin. To this goal, OCT images are compared produced by a commercial OCT system (Vivosight from Michaelson Diagnostics) and by an in-house built ultrahigh resolution (UHR-) OCT system for dermatology. In 11 healthy volunteers, we investigate the DEJ signal characteristics. We perform a detailed analysis of the dark (low) signal band clearly seen for UHR-OCT in the DEJ region where we, by using a transition function, find the signal transition of axial sub-resolution character, which can be directly attributed to the exact location of DEJ, both in normal (thin/hairy) and glabrous (thick) skin. To our knowledge no detailed delineating of the DEJ in the UHR-OCT image has previously been reported, despite many publications within this field. For selected healthy volunteers, we investigate the dermal papillae and the vellus hairs and identify distinct features that only UHR-OCT can resolve. Differences are seen in tracing hairs of diameter below 20 μm, and in imaging the dermal papillae where, when utilising the UHR-OCT, capillary structures are identified in the hand palm, not previously reported in OCT studies and specifically for glabrous skin not reported in any other in vivo optical imaging studies.

Use of Vibrational Optical Coherence Tomography in Dermatology

Use of Vibrational Optical Coherence Tomography in Dermatology

Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of Normal, Chronologically Aged, Photoaged and Photodamaged Skin: A Systematic Review.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is capable of providing a noninvasive real-time cross-sectional image of the skin through light-based interferometry, a method sometimes described as "light-based ultrasound." One key application of OCT in dermatology is the visualization of dermal collagen during chronological aging, photoaging, or photodamage. These skin conditions are typically managed by the practitioner's subjective assessment of severity and response to therapy. The purpose of this review is to present available evidence on the ability of OCT to image normal, chronologically aged, photoaged and photodamaged skin in human subjects. The authors have searched Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases for published literature on the imaging of skin collagen by OCT using the following search terms: "optical coherence tomography," "OCT," "skin," "collagen," "photoaging," "wrinkles," and "photodamage." The search resulted in 23 articles investigating OCT-based skin collagen imaging, which met their search criteria. The authors anticipate tremendous growth in the field of OCT-based skin imaging that will parallel the development ultrasound technology has experienced over the past 30 years. They foresee that the use of OCT imaging to evaluate skin aging will not only help identify pathological changes earlier, but will also assist in the evaluation of the response to therapy longitudinally without biopsy.

Bringing Light into the Diagnosis of Skin Disorders - Short Review on Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography in Dermatology

The study of optospectral techniques for the non-invasive, in vivo diagnosis of skin diseases has intensified in the last years. Optical diagnosis methods have already started to prove their ability to reveal specific skin functions and to identify skin lesions and their various stages, allowing for the early diagnosis of skin diseases and monitoring of their treatments. At the moment, these techniques have great inter and intra-patient variations, which could be overcome by the use of combined optical techniques, assuring greater accuracy and complementary information, and thus, entering the mainstream of medical practice. After a brief review concerning light-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) methods, the article intends to present the benefits of applying a combination of both methods for improved diagnostic accuracy in the case of both benign and malignant disorders of the skin. Keywords: Combined optical techniques, fluorescence spectroscopy, melanoma, fluorophores, optical coherence tomography, skin diseases.

Optical coherence tomography in dermatology

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive diagnostic method that offers a view into the superficial layers of the skin in vivo in real-time. An infrared broadband light source allows the investigation of skin architecture and changes up to a depth of 1 to 2 mm with a resolution between 15 and 3 μm, depending on the system used. Thus OCT enables evaluation of skin lesions, especially nonmelanoma skin cancers and inflammatory diseases, quantification of skin changes, visualization of parasitic infestations, and examination of other indications such as the investigation of nails. OCT provides a quick and useful diagnostic imaging technique for a number of clinical questions and is a valuable addition or complement to other noninvasive imaging tools such as dermoscopy, high-frequency ultrasound, and confocal laser scan microscopy.

Optical coherence tomography in dermatology: technical and clinical aspects

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a fairly new non-invasive optical real-time imaging modality, is an emergent in vivo technique, based on the interference (Michelson interferometry) of infrared radiation and living tissues, that allows high-resolution, 2- or 3-dimensional, cross-sectional visualisation of microstructural morphology of tissues. OCT provides depth-resolved images of tissues with resolution up to a few micrometers and depth up to several millimetres depending on tissue type. The investigations using OCT to assess skin structure in clinical settings started in the past decade and consequently proved that this imaging method is useful in visualizing subsurface structures of normal skin, including the epidermis, dermoepidermal junction, dermis, hair follicles, blood vessels and sweat ducts. An increasing number of papers brought evidence of the utility and the precision of OCT technology, in its different technical variants, in diagnosing and monitoring skin disorders, including malignancies and inflammatory conditions, respectively. The present comprehensive review describes and illustrates technical aspects and clinical applications of OCT methods in dermatology.

Optical coherence tomography in dermatology

Background/alms: Optical coherence tomography is a new in vivo imaging tool originally developed to investigate the eye. We undertook a preliminary investigation of experimental and clinical dermatological applications.Methods: We obtained optical coherence tomography images of ethnic groups, of cutaneous changes induced by exposure to water and dimethyl sulfoxide, of corticosteroid atrophy and of acne vulgaris.Results: Optical coherence tomography was able to visualize specific structural changes in stratum corneum and viable epidermis in these diverse conditions.Conclusions: The high lateral and axial resolution of 4 urn and 7 μm, respectively, and the image quality of this prototype make optical coherence tomography a promising instrument for clinical and investigative dermatology.