Laser Doppler Imaging of Skin Blood Flow for Assessing Peripheral Vascular Impairment in Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of laser Doppler imaging (LDPI) of the skin blood flow for assessing peripheral vascular impairment in the hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The subjects were 46 male patients with HAVS, aged 50 to 69 yr, and 31 healthy male volunteers of similar age as controls. A cold provocation test was carried out by immersing a subject's hand on his more severely affected side into cold water at a temperature of 10°C for 10 min. Repeated image scanning of skin blood flow of the index, middle, and ring fingers was performed every 2 min before, during, and after the cold water immersion using a PMI-II laser Doppler perfusion imager. The mean blood perfusion values in the distal phalanx area of the fingers were calculated on each image. The patients suffering from vibration-induced white finger (VWF, n=20) demonstrated significantly lower skin blood perfusion at each interval of the test as compared with those without VWF (n=26) and the controls (p<0.01, ANOVA). The blood perfusions in the HAVS patients were associated with the severity of the symptoms as classified by the Stockholm Workshop scale for vascular staging. When a subject was considered to be positive if any of the tested fingers showing a decreased blood perfusion and/or a delayed recovery pattern, the sensitivity was 80.0%, and the specificity was 84.6% and 93.5% for patients without VWF and the controls, respectively. These results suggest that the LDPI technique could provide detailed and accurate information that may help detect the existence of impaired vascular regulation to cold exposure in the fingers of workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration.

Alteration of skin perfusion in mottling area during septic shock

“…The PeriScan PIM 3 System is based on the established laser Doppler technique [10,11]. When laser light penetrates the tissue, it is scattered and partly absorbed.…”

Exploration of skin perfusion in cirrhotic patients with septic shock

“…Skin perfusion was assessed by the laser Doppler technique (PeriScan PIM 3 System Ò ) [26,27]. This technique has already been reported to assess skin perfusion alterations in non-cirrhotic patients with septic shock [12].…”

Периферносъдови И Микроциркулаторни Нарушения При Вибрационна Болест От Локално Вибровъздействие

“…Изследването на глобалното кожно кръвообращение и на терморегулаторните, и на нутриционните кожни микросъдове чрез ЛДФ установява нарушен кожен кръвен ток в дисталните фаланги на пръстите на ръцете воларно и снижена кожна перфузия при 39.2% от болните. Нарушено кожно кръвообращение, регистрирани чрез лазер-доплерови изследвания описват и други автори [7,8]. Илюстрация на мониторирана кожна перфузия, скорост на формените елементи на кръвта и техния брой чрез РДФ е показана на Диаграма 3.…”