Noninvasive quantitative assessment of oral submucosal fibrosis in vivo using optical coherence elastography
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: SignificanceOptical coherence elastography (OCE) is a noninvasive imaging technique with high sensitivity and resolution that can be used for mucocutaneous imaging. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic disease that has a tendency to become cancerous. Nevertheless, there are a few noninvasive methods for early detection of OSF.AimA piezoelectric transducer-based (PZT) OCE technique was devised to noninvasively assess the structural and mechanical properties of mucosa in healthy and fibrotic oral diseases.ApproachWe first validated the accuracy and reliability of the OCE system for tissue elasticity detection by means of a heterogeneous agar model. The structural and biomechanical characteristics of the regional tissues were then evaluated by examining the oral mucosa of both healthy and fibrotic SD rats.ResultsNormal and fibrotic tissue stiffness differed significantly (p<0.05). The elastic wave velocity was 6.44±0.30 m/s in the normal group and 14.2±0.91 m/s in the fibrotic group. After converting the results to Young’s modulus, the stiffness of the healthy buccal tissues and the fibrotic buccal tissues were 130.71±12.01 and 636.15±79.17 kPa, respectively (p<0.05).ConclusionsOCE can differentiate between normal and fibrotic tissue based on elasticity and optical properties. Healthy buccal tissues were softer than diseased tissues.
Source: Journal of Biomedical Optics
Authors: Yuhao Yang, Chaoqun Ye, Mengzhen Tang, Zekun Li, Xinyu Yang, Xingdao He, Weihua Chen, Jian Yang
Institutions: Nanchang University, Nanchang Hangkong University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,675
Award: G8697056441
OpenAlex ID: W4415302689