Blood Vessel Density Measured Using Dynamic Optical Coherence Tomography is a Tool for Wound Healers.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dermatology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) is an emerging imaging technique.
• D-OCT is validated for assessing blood flow in skin microcirculation.
• Chronic wounds, such as venous and mixed arterio-venous ulcers, present challenges in understanding their healing processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the microcirculation and angiogenesis in the skin surrounding chronic ulcers using D-OCT.
• To analyze vessel morphology and density in wound borders versus centers.
• To establish D-OCT as a tool for studying wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Skin microcirculation around chronic ulcers was imaged using D-OCT.
• Tortuous vessels were identified and classified (dots, blobs, coils, clumps, lines, curves).
• Vessel density was measured and compared between wound borders and centers.

Main Results:

• D-OCT revealed tortuous vessels, indicative of angiogenic sprouts, in the periwound skin.
• A significantly higher prevalence of coils and clumps was observed in wound borders compared to centers.
• These findings suggest inward vessel growth from the wound edge.

Conclusions:

• D-OCT provides detailed imaging of skin microcirculation structure and function.
• The observed vessel patterns support the hypothesis of inward angiogenesis in chronic wounds.
• D-OCT offers a novel approach to study angiogenesis and improve chronic wound management.