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Photoacoustic imaging of port‐wine stains
Author(s) -
Kolkman Roy G.M.,
Mulder Miranda J.,
Glade Conrad P.,
Steenbergen Wiendelt,
van Leeuwen Ton G.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.20612
Subject(s) - photoacoustic imaging in biomedicine , ultrasound , port wine , laser , photoacoustic doppler effect , biomedical engineering , lesion , materials science , ultrasonic sensor , medicine , signal (programming language) , optics , pathology , radiology , surgery , physics , computer science , programming language
Background and Objective To optimize laser therapy of port‐wine stains (PWSs), information about the vasculature as well as lesion depth is valuable. In this study we investigated the use of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) to obtain this information. Study Design/Materials and Methods PAI uses pulsed light to generate ultrasound upon absorption of short light pulses by blood. In this study we used PAI to image vasculature in PWSs in three human volunteers. Two‐dimensional imaging (scan direction vs. depth) was carried out by scanning a double‐ring photoacoustic sensor over the tissue surface. Results In the photoacoustic images we observed an increased photoacoustic signal intensity at the locations of the PWS that is associated with increased vascularization. From the obtained images we measured the thickness of the vascular layer and estimated lesion depth. In some cases single vessels could be observed at the position of the PWS whereas in other cases the PWS appeared as a region with large photoacoustic signal intensity. Conclusions PAI has the potential to reveal information about the lesion depth as well as thickness of the vascular layer. Laser Surg. Med. 40:178–182, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.