In vivo burn scar assessment with speckle decorrelation and joint spectral and time domain optical coherence tomography

Qiang Wang; Peijun Gong; Hadi Afsharan; Chulmin Joo; Natalie Morellini; Mark Fear; Fiona Wood; Hao Ho; Dilusha Silva; Barry Cense

doi:10.1117/1.JBO.28.12.126001

In vivo burn scar assessment with speckle decorrelation and joint spectral and time domain optical coherence tomography

J Biomed Opt. 2023 Dec;28(12):126001. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.28.12.126001. Epub 2023 Dec 6.

Authors

Qiang Wang¹, Peijun Gong^{2

3

4}, Hadi Afsharan^{1

3}, Chulmin Joo⁵, Natalie Morellini^{6

7}, Mark Fear^{6

7}, Fiona Wood^{6

7

8}, Hao Ho^{2

3

4}, Dilusha Silva⁹, Barry Cense^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ The University of Western Australia, Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
² Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, BRITElab, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
³ The University of Western Australia, Centre for Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ The University of Western Australia, School of Engineering, Department of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁵ Yonsei University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁶ The University of Western Australia, Burn Injury Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁷ Fiona Stanley Hospital, Fiona Wood Foundation, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
⁸ Fiona Stanley Hospital, Burns Service of Western Australia, Western Australia Department of Health, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
⁹ The University of Western Australia, Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Microelectronics Research Group, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Abstract

Significance: Post-burn scars and scar contractures present significant challenges in burn injury management, necessitating accurate evaluation of the wound healing process to prevent or minimize complications. Non-invasive and accurate assessment of burn scar vascularity can offer valuable insights for evaluations of wound healing. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) are promising imaging techniques that may enhance patient-centered care and satisfaction by providing detailed analyses of the healing process.

Aim: Our study investigates the capabilities of OCT and OCTA for acquiring information on blood vessels in burn scars and evaluates the feasibility of utilizing this information to assess burn scars.

Approach: Healthy skin and neighboring scar data from nine burn patients were obtained using OCT and processed with speckle decorrelation, Doppler OCT, and an enhanced technique based on joint spectral and time domain OCT. These methods facilitated the assessment of vascular structure and blood flow velocity in both healthy skin and scar tissues. Analyzing these parameters allowed for objective comparisons between normal skin and burn scars.

Results: Our study found that blood vessel distribution in burn scars significantly differs from that in healthy skin. Burn scars exhibit increased vascularization, featuring less uniformity and lacking the intricate branching network found in healthy tissue. Specifically, the density of the vessels in burn scars is 67% higher than in healthy tissue, while axial flow velocity in burn scar vessels is 25% faster than in healthy tissue.

Conclusions: Our research demonstrates the feasibility of OCT and OCTA as burn scar assessment tools. By implementing these technologies, we can distinguish between scar and healthy tissue based on its vascular structure, providing evidence of their practicality in evaluating burn scar severity and progression.

Keywords: angiography; burn scar; burn scar assessment; flow measurement; optical coherence tomography; skin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cicatrix* / diagnostic imaging
Cicatrix* / pathology
Humans
Neovascularization, Pathologic / pathology
Skin / blood supply
Tomography, Optical Coherence* / methods
Wound Healing