In Vivo Monitoring of Facial Acne Development by Using Multimodal Functional OCT

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Acne vulgaris is a prevalent inflammatory skin condition with significant long-term consequences like scarring and pigmentation.
• These outcomes negatively impact patients' Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL).
• Effective monitoring of acne progression is crucial for understanding lesion development and treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a multi-functional optical coherence tomography (OCT) protocol for longitudinal in vivo monitoring of acne.
• To integrate structural imaging, OCT-based angiography (OCTA), and optical coherence elastography (OCE) for comprehensive acne assessment.
• To establish quantitative biomarkers for acne lesion evolution and sequelae.

Main Methods:

• A novel multimodal OCT system combining structural imaging, OCTA, and OCE was developed.
• Thirteen acne lesions were monitored longitudinally across eight time points over 18 days.
• Quantitative parameters, including Young's modulus (biomechanics) and vascular metrics, were measured.

Main Results:

• The multimodal OCT system successfully captured biomechanical and microvascular changes during acne evolution.
• Quantitative parameters demonstrated that changes in skin stiffness and vascularity correlate with lesion progression.
• The study established a quantitative foundation for monitoring acne development in vivo.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal OCT monitoring provides a non-invasive method for assessing acne progression and evolution.
• Biomechanical and microvascular alterations detected by OCT may serve as potential biomarkers for acne sequelae.
• This pilot study supports the use of advanced OCT techniques in dermatological research and clinical practice.