Diagnosis
A preliminary study using virtual touch imaging and quantification for the assessment of skin stiffness in systemic sclerosis
T. Santiago1, B. Alcacer-Pitarch2, M.J. Salvador3, F. Del Galdo4, A.C. Redmond5, J.A.P. Da Silva6
- Rheumatology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. tlousasantiago@hotmail.com
- Leeds Institute for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds; and NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
- Rheumatology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Leeds Institute for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds; and NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
- Leeds Institute for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds; and NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
- Rheumatology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
CER8849
2016 Vol.34, N°5 ,Suppl.100
PI 0137, PF 0141
Diagnosis
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PMID: 26939859 [PubMed]
Received: 05/08/2015
Accepted : 18/01/2016
In Press: 25/02/2016
Published: 13/10/2016
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate ultrasound Virtual Touch Imaging and Quantification (VTIQ) as a method for determining absolute skin stiffness in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
METHODS:
Skin thickness, assessed by the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) and absolute skin stiffness, using VTIQ, were measured at all mRSS anatomical sites to quantify the shear wave velocity (in m/s) in 26 SSc patients and in 17 age- and gender-matched controls. Correlations between mRSS and absolute skin stiffness, and comparisons between patients and controls were analysed statistically using Mann-Whitney U tests and correlations between variables using Pearson’s. P values <0.05 were considered significant.
RESULTS:
Shear wave velocity as a measure of skin stiffness was significantly higher in SSc than in controls in 11 out of 16 mRSS sites investigated. Shear-wave velocity was strongly correlated with the local mRSS in the following anatomical sites: forearm, hand, phalanx, and thigh. In the patient group, clinically unaffected skin could also be differentiated from healthy skin using shear-wave velocity.
CONCLUSIONS:
VTIQ represents an innovative and promising technique that provides, for the first time, a non-invasive, absolute quantification of skin stiffness. Further studies of VTIQ are required, but this early study supports the clinical and scientific potential of this new measure of skin involvement in SSc.