This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gambichler, T Articles by Kreuter, A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gambichler, T Articles by Kreuter, A Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Optical coherence tomography of cutaneous lupus erythematosus correlates with histopathology

Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstr. 56, D-44791 Bochum, Germany; t.gambichler{at}klinikum-bochum.de

J Hyun

Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Department of Dermatology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

G Moussa

N S Tomi

Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

S Boms

Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Department of Dermatology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

P Altmeyer

K Hoffmann

A Kreuter

Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

Diagnosis of cutaneous forms of lupus erythematosus (LE), including chronic discoid LE (CDLE) and subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE), is usually based on characteristic clinical and histopathological findings. We aimed to visualize morphological changes in lesions of cutaneous LE using optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to correlate the OCT findings with histopathology. Six patients with CDLE and five patients with SCLE were investigated. Prior to skin biopsy, OCT assessment was performed on previously marked lesions. The images of OCT and corresponding histology were evaluated side-by-side on the PC screen. The thickening and disruption of the entrance signal in OCT images correlated with the hyperkeratosis which was observed in the histological sections. Atrophy of the epidermis, which was demonstrated by histology, could also be detected in the OCT pictures showing a thinned layer below the entrance signals. On OCT, a patchy reduction of reflectivity was observed in the upper dermis corresponding to dense patchy, partly lichenoid, lymphocytic infiltrates and oedema of the upper dermis. Furthermore, OCT images displayed increased signal-free cavities which histopathologically corresponded to dilated vessels in the upper dermis. All OCT parameters studied significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with histopathological features as indicated by coefficients of correlation ranging from 0.55 to 0.94. OCT enables to demonstrate micromorphological changes in cutaneous LE which correlate with histopathological findings. Nevertheless, the current technique does not allow one to visualize definite diagnostic features of cutaneous LE. However, OCT may be a promising method for objective monitoring of LE activity and treatment effects over time in vivo

Key Words: cutaneous lupus erythematosus • disease monitoring • histology • interferometry • intravital biopsy • in vivo skin imaging

Lupus, Vol. 16, No. 1, 35-38 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0961203306074773


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?