In vivo evaluation of skin of children with LC‐OCT: An objective assessment

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundSeveral non‐invasive skin imaging methods have been developed in recent years. Line‐field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC‐OCT) is one of them, leading to the best compromise in terms of resolution and penetration depth. Skin biopsies are an essential technique in paediatric dermatology, but they are a major stressful event for the child and their parents. Current LC‐OCT studies have not been dedicated to a paediatric population. If, however, LC‐OCT proves to be helpful in children, it may help guide and decrease a certain number of skin biopsies.Objectives(1) To evaluate the feasibility of using LC‐OCT in paediatric patients, and (2) to assess the maturation of skin structures in children over time with this method.MethodsIn vivo LC‐OCT images were collected on six specific body regions (forehead, forearm, chest, back, dorsum of the hand and palmar surface) and in six age groups (between the ages of 0 and 16 years).ResultsIn all body areas and age groups assessed, 9 of 10 images were rated as good‐to‐excellent, the only exception were the images acquired on the palmar surface. LC‐OCT allowed visualizing very well the skin structures up to a penetration of 500 μm. We observed that the body regions located on the upper extremities of the body (forearm, dorsum of the hand and palmar surface) showed both a maturation on their structure and differences in thickness with respect to the other regions evaluated.ConclusionsLC‐OCT can easily be used for non‐invasive imaging of children's skin and allows to document progressive skin changes in the different age groups. It may be a useful asset for imaging and diagnosing superficial skin disorders and as such reducing the number of invasive procedures while increasing the speed of diagnosis in the paediatric population.