title: Optical coherence tomography for longitudinal monitoring of vasculature in scars treated with laser fractionation.
abstract: This study presents the first in vivo longitudinal assessment of scar vasculature in ablative fractional laser treatment using optical coherence tomography (OCT). A method based on OCT speckle decorrelation was developed to visualize and quantify the scar vasculature over the treatment period. Through reliable co-location of the imaging field of view across multiple imaging sessions, and compensation for motion artifact, the study was able to track the same scar tissue over a period of several months, and quantify changes in the vasculature area density. The results show incidences of occlusion of individual vessels 3 days after the first treatment. The subsequent responses ˜20 weeks after the initial treatment show differences between immature and mature scars. Image analysis showed a distinct decrease (25 ± 13%, mean ± standard deviation) and increase (19 ± 5%) of vasculature area density for the immature and mature scars, respectively. This study establishes the feasibility of OCT imaging for quantitative longitudinal monitoring of vasculature in scar treatment. En face optical coherence tomography vasculature images pre-treatment (top) and ˜20 weeks after the first laser treatment (bottom) of a mature burn scar. Arrows mark the same vessel pattern.
authors.affiliation: Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia. peijun.gong@research.uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Peijun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Shaghayegh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Es'haghian
authors.affiliation: Burns Service of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Wellington Street, Perth WA, 6000, Australia.
authors.forename: Karl-Anton
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.affiliation: Burns Service of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Wellington Street, Perth WA, 6000, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Burns Service of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Wellington Street, Perth WA, 6000, Australia.|Burn Injury Research Unit, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.affiliation: Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Brendan F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Burns Service of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Wellington Street, Perth WA, 6000, Australia.|Burn Injury Research Unit, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.|Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.affiliation: Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ablative fractional laser treatment; angiogenesis; burn scars; immature scars; mature scars; optical coherence tomography; speckle decorrelation; vasculature