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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomechanics
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1464562

Quantitative Assessment of the Oral Microvasculature using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Provisionally accepted
Tianyu Zhang Tianyu Zhang 1Yilong Zhang Yilong Zhang 1Jinpeng Liao Jinpeng Liao 1Simon Shepherd Simon Shepherd 2Zhihong Huang Zhihong Huang 1*Michaelina Macluskey Michaelina Macluskey 2*Chunhui Li Chunhui Li 1*
  • 1 School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
  • 2 School of Dentistry, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma can greatly improve treatment success rate and patient survival. Although Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) based Angiography (OCTA) is a promising in vivo technique in oral imaging, there is a need for objective assessment of oral microvasculature. This study aimed to demonstrate a comprehensive methodology of quantitative assessing OCTA intraoral scanning results to provide measurable, reproducible data and to avoid subjective visual interpretations. Data were collected from 37 healthy subjects in total across four intraoral sites—buccal mucosa (n=32), labial mucosa (n=24), floor of the mouth (n=13), and hard palate (n=8)—using a non-invasive swept-source OCT system. Four quantitative metrics—vessel area density, vessel skeleton density, vessel diameter index, and a newly proposed weighted Tortuosity Index—were used to assess OCTA images in oral applications. The quadruple quantitative assessment's repeatability was evaluated to be reliable. Analysis of a benign ulcer case revealed differences in these metrics compared to healthy cases. In conclusion, we demonstrated a comprehensive method to quantify microvasculature in the oral cavity, showing considerable promise for early diagnosis and clinical management of oral diseases.

    Keywords: Optical Coherence Tomography, Angiography, quantitative analysis, oral squamous cell carcinoma, OCTA, intraoral imaging, oral microcirculation

    Received: 14 Jul 2024; Accepted: 05 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Zhang, Liao, Shepherd, Huang, Macluskey and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Zhihong Huang, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland, United Kingdom
    Michaelina Macluskey, School of Dentistry, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, United Kingdom
    Chunhui Li, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland, United Kingdom

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.