Optical Elastography of Systemic Sclerosis Skin
Abstract
The problem faced: Skin involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) affects the quality of life and long-term prognosis. It has also been established that improvement in skin thickening parallels improved survival. Hence, an accurate and objective method to measure skin involvement in SSc is a critical need in the field. The current gold standard for measuring the severity of skin involvement in SSc is a score that the clinician assigns by looking at 17 different areas in the body, called the Rodnan Score (mRSS). Problems faced with this current gold standard include concerns about both intra- and inter-observer variability because it relies on the assessment of skin thickness by human examiners, and its lack of sensitivity to small changes or borderline skin disease severities. Also, appropriate training and technical skills are necessary for the accurate use of mRSS. Other imaging technologies for capturing skin changes in SSc include X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography, but most of these technologies lack spatial resolution or necessitate the use of large, expensive equipment. Against this backdrop, the novel technology proposed, optical coherence elastography (OCE), allows for the non-invasive quantification of elastic properties of skin with higher reproducibility and accuracy, automatic quantification metrics without human-observer bias, rapid scans (taking <1 sec per scan), as well as high resolution. Finally, the feasibility of using OCE to study skin changes in a mouse model of SSc has been successfully established. Before this novel technology can be used in the clinics, two questions need to be addressed: (1) Can OCE be used to monitor variations in skin changes, or detect the disease early, at least in mouse models? (2) Can OCE also detect skin changes in patients with SSc with a level of accuracy and dependability that matches or exceeds current monitoring tools? The two aims in this proposal will address the two questions above, respectively. Given that OCE emerges as a potential point-of-care device for the rapid and reliable monitoring of skin involvement in systemic sclerosis/scleroderma, this novel technology could have a significant impact on the long-term management of this disease and patient survival, both in the military and elsewhere.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610140
Entities
People
- Chandra Mohan
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Houston