Blood Vessel Density Measured Using Dynamic Optical Coherence Tomography is a Tool for Wound Healers

Abstract

Dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) is a relatively new technique that may be used to study the substructures in the retina, in the skin and its microcirculation. Furthermore, D-OCT is a validated method of imaging blood flow in skin microcirculation. The skin around venous and mixed arterio-venous ulcers was imaged and found to have tortuous vessels assumed to be angiogenic sprouts, and classified as dots, blobs, coils, clumps, lines, and curves. When these images were analyzed and measurements of vessel density were made, it was observed that the prevalence of coils and clumps in wound borders was significantly greater compared with those at wound centers. This reinforced the belief of inward growth of vessels from wound edge toward wound center which, in turn, reposed confidence in following the wound edge to study healing. D-OCT imaging permits the structure and the function of the microcirculation to be imaged, and vessel density measured. This offers a new vista of skin microcirculation and using it, to better understand angiogenesis in chronic wounds.