Esperanza Naredo1, Javier Pascau2, Nemanja Damjanov3, Gemma Lepri4, Pedro M Gordaliza2, Iustina Janta5, Juan Gabriel Ovalles-Bonilla5, Francisco Javier López-Longo5, Marco Matucci-Cerinic4. 1. Department of Rheumatology, Joint and Bone Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz. 2. Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering Department, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. 3. Institute of Rheumatology, University of Belgrade Medical School, Belgrade, Serbia. 4. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology AOUC, Florence, Italy. 5. Department of Rheumatology, Hospital General, Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: High frequency ultrasound allows visualization of epidermis, dermis and hypodermis, precise measurement of skin thickness, as well as assessment of skin oedema, fibrosis and atrophy. The aim of this pilot cross-sectional observational study was to assess the performance and multiobserver variability of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) (50 MHz) ultrasound (US) in measuring skin thickness as well as the capacity of UHF-derived skin features to differentiate SSc patients from healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-one SSc patients (16 limited and five diffuse SSc) and six healthy controls were enrolled. All subjects underwent US evaluation by three experts at three anatomical sites (forearm, hand and finger). Dermal thickness was measured and two rectangular regions of interest, one in dermis and one in hypodermis, were established for texture feature analysis. RESULTS: UHF-US allowed a precise identification and measurement of the thickness of the dermis. The dermal thickness in the finger was significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.05), while in the forearm it was significantly lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Interobserver variability for dermal thickness was good to excellent [forearm intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.754; finger ICC = 0.699; hand ICC = 0.602]. Texture computed analysis of dermis and hypodermis was able to discriminate between SSc and healthy subjects (area under the curve >0.7). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data show that skin UHF-US allows a very detailed imaging of skin layers, a reliable measurement of dermal thickness, and a discriminative capacity between dermis and hypodermis texture features in SSc and healthy subjects.
OBJECTIVE: High frequency ultrasound allows visualization of epidermis, dermis and hypodermis, precise measurement of skin thickness, as well as assessment of skin oedema, fibrosis and atrophy. The aim of this pilot cross-sectional observational study was to assess the performance and multiobserver variability of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) (50 MHz) ultrasound (US) in measuring skin thickness as well as the capacity of UHF-derived skin features to differentiate SSc patients from healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-one SSc patients (16 limited and five diffuse SSc) and six healthy controls were enrolled. All subjects underwent US evaluation by three experts at three anatomical sites (forearm, hand and finger). Dermal thickness was measured and two rectangular regions of interest, one in dermis and one in hypodermis, were established for texture feature analysis. RESULTS: UHF-US allowed a precise identification and measurement of the thickness of the dermis. The dermal thickness in the finger was significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.05), while in the forearm it was significantly lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Interobserver variability for dermal thickness was good to excellent [forearm intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.754; finger ICC = 0.699; hand ICC = 0.602]. Texture computed analysis of dermis and hypodermis was able to discriminate between SSc and healthy subjects (area under the curve >0.7). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data show that skin UHF-US allows a very detailed imaging of skin layers, a reliable measurement of dermal thickness, and a discriminative capacity between dermis and hypodermis texture features in SSc and healthy subjects.
Authors: Tânia Santiago; Eduardo José Ferreira Santos; Barbara Ruaro; Gemma Lepri; Lorraine Green; Marie Wildt; Shinji Watanabe; Alain Lescoat; Roger Hesselstrand; Francesco Del Galdo; John D Pauling; Lucy Jean Reeve; Maria Antonieta D'Agostino; Marco Matucci-Cerinic; Annamaria Iagnocco; Jose Antonio Pereira da Silva Journal: RMD Open Date: 2022-07
Authors: Barbara Ruaro; Tania Santiago; Michael Hughes; Gemma Lepri; Gabriele Poillucci; Elisa Baratella; Francesco Salton; Marco Confalonieri Journal: Open Access Rheumatol Date: 2021-04-28
Authors: E J Marjanovic; V Sharma; L Smith; C Pinder; T L Moore; J B Manning; G Dinsdale; M Berks; V L Newton; S Wilkinson; M R Dickinson; A L Herrick; R E B Watson; A K Murray Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2022-02-21 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Piotr Sobolewski; Monika Dźwigała; Jakub Zakrzewski; Łukasz Paluch; Jacek Bogucki; Elżbieta Szymañska; Irena Walecka Journal: Postepy Dermatol Alergol Date: 2021-10-01 Impact factor: 1.664