Skin age testing criteria: characterization of human skin structures by 500 MHz MRI multiple contrast and image processing

Abstract

Ex vivo magnetic resonance microimaging (MRM) image characteristics are reported in human skin samples in different age groups. Human excised skin samples were imaged using a custom coil placed inside a 500 MHz NMR imager for high-resolution microimaging. Skin MRI images were processed for characterization of different skin structures. Contiguous cross-sectional T1-weighted 3D spin echo MRI, T2-weighted 3D spin echo MRI and proton density images were compared with skin histopathology and NMR peaks. In all skin specimens, epidermis and dermis thickening and hair follicle size were measured using MRM. Optimized parameters TE and TR and multicontrast enhancement generated better MRI visibility of different skin components. Within high MR signal regions near to the custom coil, MRI images with short echo time were comparable with digitized histological sections for skin structures of the epidermis, dermis and hair follicles in 6 (67%) of the nine specimens. Skin % tissue composition, measurement of the epidermis, dermis, sebaceous gland and hair follicle size, and skin NMR peaks were signatures of skin type. The image processing determined the dimensionality of skin tissue components and skin typing. The ex vivo MRI images and histopathology of the skin may be used to measure the skin structure and skin NMR peaks with image processing may be a tool for determining skin typing and skin composition.

Quantitative analysis of the anatomical changes in the scalp and hair follicles in androgenetic alopecia using magnetic resonance imaging

“…The ratio of hair follicle depth to total scalp thickness was analyzed to assess the relative depth of hair follicles within the scalp. Each layer of the scalp and hair follicles in MR images were identified based on previous non‐scalp skin MRI studies 13,14 . Specifically, low‐intensity linear structures running vertically down the scalp without reaching the lower edge of the hypodermis were regarded as hair follicles 11 …”

Management of the Skin and Soft Tissue in the Geriatric Surgical Patient

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7] The rate of change with aging is affected by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are those changes that occur in all people as they age, being essentially those factors that exist "within our bodies" in everyone who ages.…”

In vivo assessment of aged human skin with a unilateral NMR scanner

“…MRI characterization of the skin has been performed in various studies, including skin morphology , biochemical properties and structure of the different layers , water mobility , Na + content , properties of inflammatory lesions and skin tumors , skin microvasculature and aging effects . However, the clinical usefulness of skin measurements with conventional MRI remains to be proven as a few main drawbacks severely limit the use of MRI as a skin imaging tool: (i) MRI equipment is expensive and its availability for skin examination is limited; (ii) skin MRI requires a high spatial resolution that demands high magnetic field gradients and sensitive (small) surface coils confined to the volume of interest ; (iii) the NMR signal from the skin consists of short relaxation times that require the use of short TEs .…”

“… evaluated in vivo the age‐related effects of water mobility with a diffusion‐weighted sequence in the epidermis and dermis, and reported alterations in the outer part of the dermis in older persons, as well as enhanced water mobility in the epidermis in elderly individuals. Sharma suggested a structure‐based approach for testing the aging of skin by identifying variations in the skin surface characteristics that can be seen on MR images. This approach, however, cannot be implemented with NMR profiling.…”