Fluorescent image analysis for evaluating the condition of facial sebaceous follicles.
OBJECTIVE
Conventional methods, such as 'Sebutape' and 'Sebumeter,' can provide quantitative information on sebum excretion but cannot reflect the condition of sebaceous follicles that can be indirectly evaluated with fluorescent colors of sebum. The images of sebum excretion can be obtained with an ultraviolet-A light that is generally called 'Wood's Lamp.' In this study, we describe fluorescent image analysis methods for the detection of sebum and the color segmentation of sebum to evaluate the condition of sebaceous follicles.


RESULTS
For subject-dependent automatic image analysis, we extracted calibrated image analysis methods that were optimized for digital fluorescent images acquired from our imaging system. The calibrated subjective threshold values for sebum detection were determined by statistically analyzing the number of sebum detected by the automatic threshold value method and the subjective threshold value method (R=0.947, the number of volunteers: 29). In fluorescent color analysis of sebum, the calibrated reference color markers for the red and white colors were extracted with a coefficient of variance of <10%.


CONCLUSIONS
We are confident that such calibrated image analysis methods in combination with our imaging system can provide useful quantitative diagnostic information for sebum-related skin pathologies.
Son
Taeyoon
T
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea.
Han
Byungkwan
B
Jung
Byungjo
B
Nelson
J Stuart
JS
D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D012629:Sebum / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods*