Optical, Tomographic, and Mass Spectrometry Imaging Methods for Burn Wounds: Capabilities, Limitations, and Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Wound healing research
• Medical imaging technologies
• Dermatological diagnostics

Background:

• Accurate burn wound assessment is crucial for effective treatment and prognosis.
• A variety of imaging and morphological analysis techniques exist for evaluating burn wounds.
• Standardization and comparison of these methods are needed for clinical and research applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze principal methods for imaging and morphological analysis of burn wounds.
• To compare the strengths and limitations of various techniques for burn wound characterization.
• To identify optimal imaging strategies for both clinical practice and experimental research.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of literature on burn wound imaging and morphological analysis.
• Categorization of methods including light, electron, and fluorescence microscopy, tomographic techniques, and mass spectrometry imaging.
• Evaluation of techniques based on resolution, diagnostic accuracy, accessibility, and research applicability.

Main Results:

• Light microscopy with histological staining and immunohistochemistry is the morphological gold standard.
• Wide-field indocyanine green angiography excels in burn depth stratification; fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy assesses cellular metabolism.
• High-frequency ultrasound provides accessible bedside evaluation, while MRI and mass spectrometry imaging have limitations for routine clinical use.

Conclusions:

• The optimal combination for clinical practice includes high-frequency ultrasound and wide-field fluorescence imaging.
• Various imaging modalities retain high relevance for experimental research and validation of new therapies.
• This review provides a comprehensive overview to guide the selection of appropriate imaging techniques for burn wound management.