Du Fengxian, Wu Huiling, Xue Junwei, Yao Shenglan, Li Ronghui, Zhang Jinde, Wang Haitao, Cheng Qi, Zhao Fan, Huang Ying, Zhou Zijian, Liang Feng, Gu Xiufei, Tuchin Valery V, Zhao Qingliang
The State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Department of ICU, School of Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
The Institute of Advanced Science Facilities, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
J Transl Med. 2025 Jun 19;23(1):687. doi: 10.1186/s12967-025-06228-5.
Rapid, label-free and depth-resolved imaging of atopic dermatitis (AD) at high resolution has long been a challenge due to current dermoscopes are limited by inadequate resolution, sensitivity and the lack of three-dimensional (3D) imaging capability.
Herein, we present promising optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) collaborative multi-parameter image processing algorithms (OCT/OCTA) that have been developed for long-term, dynamic longitudinal investigation of subtly changes in tissue structure during the dynamic development of AD, especially in the microvascular network.
The OCT image demonstrated a 'roller-coaster' trend in skin thickness throughout the progression of dermatitis, initially exhibiting an increase and subsequently a decrease. Moreover, the OCTA image enabled the discernment of a displacement of the superficial vascular plexus to deeper layers as the severity of AD increased. Furthermore, the results of the quantitative analysis of vascular multiparametric features at different stages, including vessel diameter, length, and density, also demonstrated a positive correlation with the severity of AD.
Overall, the full-cycle dynamic changes in skin thickness and depth-resolved vascular alterations during the progression of dermatitis can be effectively predicted using OCT/OCTA, which can inform more targeted AD diagnosis and treatment strategies. Furthermore, this method has the potential to assess therapeutic drug efficacy by capturing microvascular and structural responses across different stages of treatment. The presented methods have the potential to provide new insight into the monitoring of long-term vascular and tissue structure responses before and after therapeutic intervention in a range of AD-related skin diseases.
由于目前的皮肤镜受分辨率不足、灵敏度不够以及缺乏三维（3D）成像能力的限制，长期以来，对特应性皮炎（AD）进行快速、无标记且高分辨率的深度分辨成像一直是一项挑战。
在此，我们展示了有前景的光学相干断层扫描（OCT）和OCT血管造影（OCTA）协作多参数图像处理算法（OCT/OCTA），这些算法是为长期动态纵向研究AD动态发展过程中组织结构的细微变化而开发的，尤其是在微血管网络方面。
OCT图像显示在整个皮炎进展过程中皮肤厚度呈“过山车”趋势，最初增加，随后减少。此外，OCTA图像能够辨别随着AD严重程度增加，浅表血管丛向更深层的移位。此外，对不同阶段血管多参数特征（包括血管直径、长度和密度）的定量分析结果也表明与AD严重程度呈正相关。
总体而言，使用OCT/OCTA可以有效预测皮炎进展过程中皮肤厚度的全周期动态变化以及深度分辨的血管改变，这可为更有针对性的AD诊断和治疗策略提供依据。此外，该方法有潜力通过捕捉不同治疗阶段的微血管和结构反应来评估治疗药物的疗效。所提出的方法有可能为一系列AD相关皮肤病治疗干预前后的长期血管和组织结构反应监测提供新的见解。
