Non-invasive imaging of pathological scars using a portable handheld two-photon microscope.
10.1097/CM9.0000000000002715
- Author:
Yang HAN
1
;
Yuxuan SUN
2
;
Feili YANG
3
;
Qingwu LIU
4
;
Wenmin FEI
5
;
Wenzhuo QIU
6
;
Junjie WANG
7
;
Linshuang LI
8
;
Xuejun ZHANG
9
;
Aimin WANG
10
;
Yong CUI
1
Author Information
1. Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
2. College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
3. School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
4. Department of Dermatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
5. Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
6. Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
7. College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
8. Beijing Transcend Vivoscope Biotech, Beijing 100085, China.
9. Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
10. School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Humans;
Cicatrix/diagnostic imaging*;
Skin/pathology*;
Collagen;
Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods*
- From:
Chinese Medical Journal
2024;137(3):329-337
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND:Pathological scars are a disorder that can lead to various cosmetic, psychological, and functional problems, and no effective assessment methods are currently available. Assessment and treatment of pathological scars are based on cutaneous manifestations. A two-photon microscope (TPM) with the potential for real-time non-invasive assessment may help determine the under-surface pathophysiological conditions in vivo . This study used a portable handheld TPM to image epidermal cells and dermal collagen structures in pathological scars and normal skin in vivo to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment in scar patients.
METHODS:Fifteen patients with pathological scars and three healthy controls were recruited. Imaging was performed using a portable handheld TPM. Five indexes were extracted from two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) perspectives, including collagen depth, dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ) contour ratio, thickness, orientation, and occupation (proportion of collagen fibers in the field of view) of collagen. Two depth-dependent indexes were computed through the 3D second harmonic generation image and three morphology-related indexes from the 2D images. We assessed index differences between scar and normal skin and changes before and after treatment.
RESULTS:Pathological scars and normal skin differed markedly regarding the epidermal morphological structure and the spectral characteristics of collagen fibers. Five indexes were employed to distinguish between normal skin and scar tissue. Statistically significant differences were found in average depth ( t = 9.917, P <0.001), thickness ( t = 4.037, P <0.001), occupation ( t = 2.169, P <0.050), orientation of collagen ( t = 3.669, P <0.001), and the DEJ contour ratio ( t = 5.105, P <0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:Use of portable handheld TPM can distinguish collagen from skin tissues; thus, it is more suitable for scar imaging than reflectance confocal microscopy. Thus, a TPM may be an auxiliary tool for scar treatment selection and assessing treatment efficacy.
