Purpose: Current color-and power-Doppler techniques cannot demonstrate vascularization of the dermis. Aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether the new superb vascular imaging (SMI) technique improves the ultrasound (US) depiction of dermis vessels in healthy volunteers. SMI was compared side-byside to conventional power-Doppler (PD) imaging.Methods: Thirty adult subjects (18 men and 12 women, mean age 45 years old) were evaluated with US at level of five body areas: forehead, forearm, palm, buttock, and thigh. The vascular index (VI) was employed to objectively quantify the difference between SMI and PD imaging in terms of dermis flow amount.Results: Forehead VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 93% of cases, forearm VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 97% of cases, palm VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 87% of cases, buttock VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 100% of cases, thigh VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 100% of cases. SMI-detected vascular signals in 100% of the body areas. PD failed to show any flow signals from the forehead in 23% of cases, forearm in 37% of cases, palm in 33% of cases, buttock in 47% of cases, and thigh in 50% of cases.
Conclusion: SMI can demonstrate normal dermis vascularization whereas conven-tional PD cannot. SMI is a sensitive and promising technique in the study of dermis abnormalities, particularly when quantifying the disease activity is important.dermal vessels, dermatology ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound (US), power-Doppler (PD), superb microvascular imaging (SMI)
| INTRODUCTIONThe skin is composed by the epidermis and the dermis, the latter consisting for 70% of connective tissue. [1][2][3] Dermis thickness varies in the different body areas, decreasing with aging. [1][2][3][4] The dermis has an intense vascularization, particularly in its deeper aspect. [1][2][3] This vascular network serves a number of vital functions such as nutritional support for tissues and homeostasis. 5 However, dermis vessels are usually not Abbreviations: PD, power Doppler; SMI, superb microvascular imaging; US, ultrasound; VI, vascular index.We confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.