The laser speckle contrast imaging: A novel modality in assessing the tissue perfusion

Background:  Imaging tissue blood flow is important in clinical environment .recently Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) is a non-invasive, easy, non risky method. This systematic review to delineate the role of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) in assessing tissue perfusion.

Materials and methods: data collected from articles cited on Linköping University Electronic Press, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, SPIE .including human studies and experimental studies on animals .human studies included 45burned patients for 14 days from the burn intensive care unit at Linköping University Hospital, Sweden, 20 patients underwent msculocutaneous, jejunal or omental free flap procedures after tumors excision flap perfusion assessed throughTwo-Dimensional Laser Speckle Flowgraphy. skin perfusion of volar surface of the forefinger and post occlusive reactive hyperaemia in forearm of 8 normal volunteers. Animal studies included assessing cerebral blood flow and retinal blood flow , endoscopic imaging of blood fow in joint capsule of rabbit model. A Laser Speckle Contrast imager (Pericam PSI System), charge-coupled device (CCD) camera at certain distance and a computer program was used to analyse the reflected speckle .laser used at wave lengths 785, 780,658 nm.

Results: perfusion was high in burns healed within first week than in those healed after 14 days. musculocutaneous flaps showed significantly lower blood flow than jejunal or omental flaps (P < .05). animal studied revieled decreased blood flow to the joint capsule after femoral artery occlussion. decrease in cerebral blood flow over over 6 × 4 mm cortical area Upon middle cerebral artery occlusion. retinal blood flow decreased by 20-30% under 100% O2.Conclusion: laser speckle contrast imaging technique is valuable future modality in determining tissue perfusion to enhance diagnostic and theraputic pathways.

 

Posted by: gamalat azmy, plastic surgery specialist, ministry of health, Egypt (02-Dec-2014)