Biomedical Optics Express 2012-07-01

Analysis of skin lesions using laminar optical tomography.

Timothy J Muldoon, Sean A Burgess, Brenda R Chen, Désirée Ratner, Elizabeth M C Hillman

Index: Biomed. Opt. Express 3 , 1701-12, (2012)

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Abstract

Evaluation of suspicious skin lesions by dermatologists is usually accomplished using white light examination and direct punch or surgical biopsy. However, these techniques can be imprecise for estimating a lesion's margin or level of dermal invasion when planning surgical resection. Laminar optical tomography (LOT) is an imaging technique capable of acquiring depth-sensitive information within scattering tissues. Here, we explore whether LOT data can be used to predict the depth and thickness of pigmented lesions using a range of simulations and phantom models. We then compare these results to LOT data acquired on normal and malignant skin lesions in vivo.