Background Preliminary studies have described morphological features of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) imaged by high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) and suggested that this technique may aid in its diagnosis and management. However, systematic studies evaluating the accuracy of HD-OCT for the diagnosis of BCC are lacking. Objective The aim of this study was to identify three-dimensional (3-D) HD-OCT features able i) to distinguish BCC from clinical BCC imitators and ii) to discriminate between the most common BCC subtypes. Based on these particular features, a diagnostic algorithm will be suggested. Method A total of 50 histopathologically confirmed BCCs (18 superficial, 19 ...

Background High-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) permits real-time 3-D imaging of the impact of selected agents on human skin allografts. Objective The real-time 3-D HD-OCT assessment of i) the impact on morphological and cellular characteristics of the processing of human acellular dermal matrices (HADMs) and ii) repopulation of HADMs in vitro by human fibroblasts and remodelling of the extracellular matrix by these cells. Method Four different skin decellularisation methods, Dispase II/Triton X-100, Dispase II/SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate), NaCl/Triton X-100 and NaCl/SDS, were analyzed by HD-OCT. HD-OCT features of epidermal removal, dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ) integrity, cellularity and ...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a modern intravascular imaging modality that has the capability to provide detailed, in vivo characterization of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaque. The current understanding of the appearance of atherosclerotic plaque via OCT is largely based on coronary arterial studies where OCT information has been employed to guide therapeutic management and permits the immediate evaluation of percutaneous intervention. The clinical success of OCT in the coronary arteries has laid the foundation for investigation of the carotid artery and thus, stroke risk assessment. We report the novel use of OCT for tissue characterization of severe stenosis ...

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Objective To obtain normative data for the canine cornea and conjunctiva using high-resolution time- and Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT and FD-OCT) and ultrasound pachymetry (USP). Animals One hundred sixty-eight eyes of 133 healthy young intact laboratory beagles. Procedures The cornea and conjunctiva of 16 eyes of 8 healthy young intact female beagles were imaged using FD-OCT. Corneal thickness was measured with FD-OCT and USP, while corneal epithelial thickness and conjunctival epithelial thickness were measured with FD-OCT. The central corneal thickness (CCT) was determined in 152 eyes of 125 healthy young adult intact female (35) and male (90) beagles using ...

Background Preliminary studies described morphological features of actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) imaged by High-Definition Optical Coherence Tomography (HD-OCT) and suggested that this technique may aid in their diagnosis. However, systematic studies evaluating the accuracy of HD-OCT for the diagnosis of AK and SCC are lacking so far. Objective In this study, we sought to design an algorithm for AK classification that could (i) distinguish SCC from AK and normal skin, (ii) differentiate AK from normal skin and (iii) discriminate AKs with adnexal involvement from those without. Methods A total of 53 histopathologically confirmed lesions (37 AKs ...

Objective: To evaluate the preliminary safety and efficacy of the EXCEL II stent system. Background: Although the first biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stent (BP-DES), EXCEL, was launched nearly a decade ago, in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis remain pertinent clinical problems in practice. A new cobalt-chromium BP-DES EXCEL II has been developed with the aim of improving stent safety and efficacy. Methods: Forty-five patients with single de novo native coronary lesions were enrolled and randomized to two groups in a 2:1 ratio, the 4-month follow-up group (n=30) and the 12-month follow-up group (n=15). All patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention ...

Aims: The purpose of the present study was to assess the incidence, predictors and long term prognosis of stent edge dissections identified by (OCT) after the implantation of bare metal (BMS) and drug eluting stents (DES). Methods and results: We studied 74 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because of an acute coronary syndrome. Edge dissections were found in 29 of 74 patients (39.1%). Independent predictors of edge dissections were: the presence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (p=0.005, odds ratio 11.78; 95% Cl 2.06-67.10), the small reference lumen diameter ( p= 0.009, odds ...

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a single drop of hyaluronic acid on tear film thickness (TFT) in healthy subjects. Methods Sixteen healthy subjects (eight male/eight female) aged between 20 and 36 years were included in this randomized, double-masked placebo-controlled study. One eye received a single dose of hyaluronic acid (Olixia pure ® ; Croma Pharma, Korneuburg, Austria) eye drops, and the fellow eye received physiologic saline solution as placebo control. The study eye was chosen randomly. TFT as measured with a custom-built Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) system was the main outcome variable and ...

No abstract provided.

Purpose To compare the choroidal thickness (CT) in eyes with moderate and severe primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) with the eyes of healthy controls. Methods Fifty-nine patients (59 eyes) with PACG and 56 age-matched normal subjects underwent macular CT scanning using enhanced depth imaging–optical coherence tomography. The subjects with PACG were further classified as having moderate [−12 dB ≤ visual field mean deviation (VF-MD) ≤ −6 dB] or severe (VF-MD < −12 dB) glaucoma. The average CT of the PACG eyes at each location was compared to that of normal eyes. Results The CT was significantly increased in moderate and severe PACG eyes ...

Background : The most commonly used method to analyze congenital heart defects involves serial sectioning and histology. However, this is often a time-consuming process where the quantification of cardiac defects can be difficult due to problems with accurate section registration. Here we demonstrate the advantages of using optical coherence tomography, a comparatively new and rising technology, to phenotype avian embryo hearts in a model of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome where a binge-like quantity of alcohol/ethanol was introduced at gastrulation. Results : The rapid, consistent imaging protocols allowed for the immediate identification of cardiac anomalies, including ventricular septal defects and misaligned/missing vessels ...

Letter to the editor

Purpose To assess the agreement between a Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam) and a combined Placido-optical coherence tomography device (Visante OMNI) in measuring corneal curvature, thickness and elevation values in normal and keratoconic eyes. Methods Corneal measurements of 110 normal eyes (one eye per subject) and 70 keratoconic eyes were obtained from both devices and compared. Agreement was determined using the Bland–Altman analysis 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Results The Pentacam measured significantly greater keratometry readings in the flattest (K1) and steepest meridians (K2) in normal and keratoconic eyes. The 95% LoA in normal eyes were −0.32 to 0.59 ...

Background Although attenuated plaque is a marker for plaque vulnerability, the quantification and its implication have not been known. Methods Multimodality pre-procedural imaging using grayscale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), virtual histology-IVUS (VH-IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed in 115 coronary lesions with diameter stenosis (DS) >30% and plaque burden ≥50% and compared the diagnostic accuracies for detecting thin-cap fibroatheromas (TCFA). Results A maximal arc of attenuation (40MHz IVUS) ≥29.0° was the cut-off for predicting VH-TCFA (sensitivity 74%, specificity 66%); and OCT-TCFA (sensitivity 89%, specificity 64%), while a maximal arc attenuation≥29.0° (20MHz IVUS) showed a poor sensitivity ...