title: Optical coherence tomography detects structural abnormalities of the nasal mucosa in patients with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic inflammation and remodeling of the airways remain a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF). However, knowledge of the associated mucosal micro-anatomical changes is limited. We evaluated the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for in vivo imaging of the upper airway mucosa in CF patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A flexible OCT probe was used for cross-sectional imaging of the nasal mucosa in 25 CF patients and 25 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OCT images showed mucosal details including epithelium, basement membrane, lamina propria with seromucinous glands, and underlying cartilaginous structures. Mean nasal mucosa and epithelial layer thickness were increased in CF compared to controls. In CF patients, antibiotic therapy was associated with reduced nasal mucosa thickening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OCT detected mucosal changes associated with upper airway inflammation and response to antibiotic therapy in CF patients. OCT may be a useful tool for quantitative in vivo assessment of structural changes of the airway mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Translational Pulmonology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oltmanns
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Palmowski
authors.affiliation: Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany; Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology with Nuclear Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wielpütz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baroke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wege
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiebel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreuter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix J F
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Herth
authors.affiliation: Translational Lung Research Centre Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Translational Pulmonology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Airway imaging; Airway inflammation; Chronic rhinosinusitis; Cystic fibrosis; Optical coherence tomography