Investigation of polarisation sensitive optical coherence tomography
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pilot investigation of polarisation sensitive optical coherence tomography as a non-invasive measure of skin fibrosis.
IRAS ID
187872
Contact name
Andrea Murray
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Polarisation sensitive optical coherence tomography (Ps-OCT) offers a novel, noninvasive method of assessing skin thickness in systemic sclerosis (SSc, ‘scleroderma’). SSc, although rare (affecting around 6000 people in the UK), carries a high mortality, has huge impact on those affected in terms of pain and disability, and is in need of objective measures of disease to enable clinical trials of new therapies. This pilot study aims to assess Ps-OCT in a small group of patients and validate images obtained by comparison to biopsied skin. Thirty patients with SSc and skin thickness and 30 age matched controls will undergo OCT, confocal microscopy (a non-invasive way to image into the skin) and Ps-OCT imaging of the forearm. Biopsies will be obtained at the same sites for a subset of patients (n=10 per group) and studied with microscopy. Images will be analysed to compare skin thickness to dermal skin thickness and/or density of collagen present. Data obtained will inform future analysis of Ps-OCT images and provide a basis to apply for more substantial funding in larger studies.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0023
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion