Assessing skin microcirculation in patients at cardiovascular risk by using laser speckle contrast imaging. A narrative review

Abstract

Skin tissue holds a prominent role in microcirculatory research as an easily accessible vascular bed for the noninvasive evaluation of microvascular function. Skin microvascular changes have been associated to alterations in distinct target organs and vascular beds, reinforcing the hypothesis that skin microcirculation can be used as a model of generalized microvascular function. In addition, skin microvascular dysfunction has been documented in cardiovascular disease and patients of increased cardiovascular risk where it has been associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, rendering it a candidate surrogate marker of vascular damage. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a noninvasive, dynamic laser technique that allows assessment of skin microvascular function (SMF) by obtaining two-dimensional maps of the skin perfusion in real time with high spatial and temporal resolution and, most importantly, with the highest reproducibility compared to other laser methods. An ever-increasing number of studies using LSCI is confirming evidence of impaired SMF in several cardiovascular risk groups, therefore expanding its application in microvascular research and showing its potential clinical utility. This review attempts to present the growing importance of SMF in cardiovascular research and the emergence of LSCI technique as a robust imaging modality with a promising role to explore skin microvascular physiology. After a short description of the relevant technique and its main principle of function, we have also opted to present the most up to date studies using LSCI for the investigation of SMF in patients with cardiovascular disease as well as various groups of increased cardiovascular risk.

Keywords: cardiovascular risk; laser speckle contrast imaging; post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia; skin microcirculation; skin microvascular function.