Dynamic Optical Coherence Tomography in Dermatology

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

  • Martina Ulrich
  • Lotte Themstrup
  • Nathalie De Carvalho
  • Marco Manfredi
  • Costantino Grana
  • Silvana Ciardo
  • Raphaela Kästle
  • Jon Holmes
  • Richard Whitehead
  • Jemec, Gregor
  • Giovanni Pellacani
  • Julia Welzel

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) represents a non-invasive imaging technology, which may be applied to the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer and which has recently been shown to improve the diagnostic accuracy of basal cell carcinoma. Technical developments of OCT continue to expand the applicability of OCT for different neoplastic and inflammatory skin diseases. Of these, dynamic OCT (D-OCT) based on speckle variance OCT is of special interest as it allows the in vivo evaluation of blood vessels and their distribution within specific lesions, providing additional functional information and consequently greater density of data. In an effort to assess the potential of D-OCT for future scientific and clinical studies, we have therefore reviewed the literature and preliminary unpublished data on the visualization of the microvasculature using D-OCT. Information on D-OCT in skin cancers including melanoma, as well as in a variety of other skin diseases, is presented in an atlas. Possible diagnostic features are suggested, although these require additional validation.

Original languageEnglish
JournalDermatology
Volume232
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)298-311
Number of pages14
ISSN1018-8665
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2016

    Research areas

  • Actinic keratosis, Basal cell carcinoma, Diagnosis, Melanoma, Optical coherence tomography, Prognosis, Skin cancer, Squamous cell carcinoma, Vascularity

ID: 179050097