Skin Imaging to Inform Laser Treatments

The purpose of this research is to assist laser treatment of skin conditions by imaging the skin to obtain information about lesional skin. This is a pilot study that will explore the utility of skin imaging in guiding the laser treatment of skin lesions. This study will utilize Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Data acquisition of the skin will guide laser treatment by providing information on skin lesion characteristics.

There have been shown to be many applications for OCT. This imaging modality has been used to examine normal skin, burn scars, hemangiomas, nevus flammeus, fibrosarcomas, rosacea, and telangiectasias. Skin conditions to be studied include vascular lesions, scars, and inflammatory conditions. Normal and lesional skin will be assessed.

Currently, laser settings are selected without the assistance of imaging. Imaging with OCT provides more information about the characteristics of the skin lesion (such as lesion depth, depth of the most superficial part of the lesion, and the size and density of blood vessels), which could allow for more informed selection of laser settings to treat individual skin lesions. OCT has been used to examine laser treatments as well, but the proposed protocol would include the use of OCT to examine the stated skin lesions above before and after laser treatment in order to compare to historical/prospective controls that did not undergo OCT imaging. The goal of this study is to optimize laser treatment with the assistance of OCT and guide future laser treatments.

OCT is an imaging modality that uses light to image turbid media such as living tissues, and has been successfully used to generate high resolution (~10 micron) cross-sectional images of tissue microstructure in the human retina, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract. OCT systems are now commercially available for ophthalmic and dermatologic use, and there are several clinical reports on the use of OCT in the vascular system and aero digestive tract, Ophthalmology, Pleural disorder, Neural tissue, Aneurysm healing, and Oral Pathology. This device focuses low power non-laser broad band infrared light onto tissue and does not involve input of significant amounts of energy into the subject; no temperature rise occurs. Because the wavelength of light used for imaging does not have adverse tissue effects, there is no risk.

Imaging with OCT provides information about the characteristics of the skin lesion (such as lesion depth, depth of the most superficial part of the lesion, and the size and density of blood vessels). OCT poses no known risks to the patients.