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Review
. 2019 Apr;80(4):1114-1120.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.11.042. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Emerging imaging technologies in dermatology: Part I: Basic principles

Samantha L Schneider  1 , Indermeet Kohli  2 , Iltefat H Hamzavi  2 , M Laurin Council  3 , Anthony M Rossi  4 , David M Ozog  5
Affiliations
Review

Emerging imaging technologies in dermatology: Part I: Basic principles

Samantha L Schneider et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Dermatologists rely primarily on clinical examination in combination with histopathology to diagnose conditions; however, clinical examination alone might not be sufficient for accurate diagnosis and skin biopsies have associated morbidity. With continued technological advancement, there are emerging ancillary imaging technologies available to dermatologists to aid in diagnosis and management. This 2-part review article will discuss these emerging technologies including: digital photographic imaging, confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and high-frequency ultrasound, as well as several additional modalities in development. In this first installment, the authors describe the breadth of technologies available and the science behind them. Then, in the second article, the authors discuss the applications and limitations of these technologies and future directions.

Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; confocal microscopy; dermatology; dermoscopy; digital photographic imaging; fluorescence imaging; high-frequency ultrasound; machine-based learning; multispectral optoacoustic tomography; optical coherence tomography.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: Dr Schneider has no relevant conflicts to disclose. Dr Kohli has served as a subinvestigator for Estee Lauder, Unigen, Ferndale laboratories, Allergan, Chromaderm, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Bayer. Dr Hamzavi has served as research investigator for Estee Lauder, Unigen, Ferndale laboratories, Allergan, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, and Incyte Corporation. Dr Council has served as consultant for MD Outlook and Medline Industries. Dr Rossi has served as consultant for Canfield Scientific Inc. Dr Ozog has served as investigator for MiRagen and Biofrontera, on the advisory board for Allergan, and was on the past medical board for DermOne.

Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.
Confocal images of normal skin. The interplay between the highly reflective, moderately reflective, and nonreflective structures results in the generation of black and white images that correspond to different structures. A, Stratum corneum. Large, refractile anucleated corneocytes (green arrow) are difficult to distinguish. Dermatoglyphs (red arrow) are seen as large dark spaces. B, Dermal-epidermal junction. Dermal papillae with dark interiors (red arrow) are circumscribed by refractile basal cells (green arrow).
Fig 2.
Fig 2.
High-frequency ultrasound clinical images. Images were acquired with a GE LOGIQ e Ultrasound unit (GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL) with a 10-22 MHz transducer and frequency setting at 20 MHz. Two-dimensional image of nonglabrous skin longitudinal view (A) and transverse view (B).
Fig 3.
Fig 3.
Raman spectroscopy in normal skin. Raman spectroscopy is used to compare the miniscule differences in emitted photon energies to generate spectra unique to particular molecules in the skin. This image is an example of a spectrum of normal skin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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