title: Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates.
abstract: Microcirculatory imaging (MI) is a relatively new research tool mainly used in the intensive care setting. MI provides a clear view of the smallest capillaries, arterioles and venules. The magnifying effect visualizes the flow pattern of erythrocytes through these vessels. It's non-invasive character makes it suitable to apply in (preterm) neonates, even in cardiorespiratory unstable patients. In adults and children, MI is mainly performed sublingually, but this is not possible in preterm infants as these cannot cooperate and the size of the probe is problematic. In preterm infants, MI is therefore performed transcutaneously. Their thin skin makes it possible to obtain high quality images of peripheral microcirculation. In this manuscript we will demonstrate the method of transcutaneous MI in preterm infants. We will focus on the different techniques and provide tips to optimize image quality. The highlights of software settings, safety and offline analysis are also addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital; h.vanelteren@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Elteren
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Irwin K M
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Rogier C J
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Jonge
mesh_terms: D001160:Arterioles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*