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Quantitative evaluation of lower limb varicose veins using photoacoustic imaging
Moemi Urano1, Kenichi Nagae2, Sachiko Matsuda3
1Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) offers a new, noninvasive method for diagnosing lower extremity varicose veins. This technique accurately visualizes vascular structures and correlates blood presence density with varicose vein locations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Vascular Biology
- Diagnostic Technologies
Background:
- Varicose veins are common, characterized by dilated subcutaneous veins due to venous valve insufficiency.
- Accurate 3D visualization of vascular shape and thickness is crucial for diagnosing varicose veins.
- Current diagnostic methods may require improvement for detailed morphological assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate photoacoustic imaging (PAI) as a novel method for evaluating lower extremity varicose vein morphology.
- To assess PAI's capability in noninvasively acquiring high-resolution, 3D vascular images.
- To determine the correlation between PAI-derived blood presence density (BPD) and varicose vein location.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an optical camera and a PAI system to capture images from nine patients with varicose veins.
- Visualized the vascular structure of the lower extremities.
- Generated a blood presence density (BPD) heat map from PAI data and analyzed its correlation with varicose vein sites.
Main Results:
- PAI successfully visualized vascular structures in 3D, from 0.2 mm to large dilated vessels.
- A correlation was observed between high-density areas on the BPD heat map and the presence of varicose veins.
- The study demonstrated PAI's ability to provide detailed morphological information.
Conclusions:
- Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) shows significant promise for the noninvasive diagnosis of lower extremity varicose veins.
- PAI provides valuable insights into varicose vein morphology and hemodynamics.
- This technique may enhance early detection and treatment planning for varicose veins.
Purpose:
Varicose veins in the lower extremities are dilated subcutaneous varicose veins with a diameter of ≥ 3 mm, caused by increased venous pressure resulting from backflow of blood due to venous valve insufficiency (Gloviczki in Handbook of venous disorders: guidelines of the American venous forum, Hodder Arnold, London, 2009). When diagnosing varicose veins, the shape and thickness of the blood vessels should be accurately visualized in three dimensions. In this study, we investigated a new method for numerical evaluation of vascular morphology related to varicose veins in the lower extremities, using a photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system, which can acquire high-resolution and three-dimensional images noninvasively.
Methods:
Nine patients with varicose veins participated in the study, and their images were captured using an optical camera and PAI system. We visualized the vascular structure, created a blood presence density (BPD) heat map, and examined the correlation between BPD and location of varicose veins.
Results:
The obtained photoacoustic (PA) images demonstrated the ability of this method to visualize vessels ranging from as small as 0.2 mm in diameter to large, dilated vessels in three dimensions. Furthermore, the study revealed a correlation between the high-density part of the BPD heat map generated from the PAI images and the presence of varicose veins.
Conclusion:
PAI is a promising technique for noninvasive and accurate diagnosis of varicose veins in the lower extremities. By providing valuable information on the morphology and hemodynamics of the varicose veins, PAI may facilitate their early detection and treatment.
