Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii

Abstract

3/2019 vol. 36
Review paper

Current methods for the assessment of skin microcirculation: Part 1

  1. Clinical Physiology Unit, Medical Simulation Centre, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
  2. Medical Centre, Pruszcz Gdanski, Poland
  3. Clinical Physiology Unit, Medical Simulation Centre/Students’ Scientific Circle, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
  4. Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland
  5. Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
Adv Dermatol Allergol 2019; XXXVI (3): 247-254
Online publish date: 2019/06/18
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Microcirculation accounts for about 99% of blood vessels in adults and mediates between the arterial and venous parts of the cardiovascular system, both structurally and functionally. Skin microcirculation consists of two vascular plexuses: superficial and deep. Microcirculation includes vessels with a diameter of less than 150 µm, i.e. arteries, small veins, lymphatic vessels and arteriovenous anastomoses, which build the microcirculation unit. Skin microcirculation may be affected both in systemic pathologies and specific skin disorders. Several non-invasive techniques are available to assess the skin microcirculation. The clinical value is recognised for capillaroscopy and videocapillaroscopy, laser Doppler flowmetry thermography and transcutaneous oxygen measurement. The list of methods that may be used in clinical research also includes: photoplethysmography, orthogonal spectral polarization, near infrared spectroscopy and tissue reflectance spectrophotometry and optical coherence tomography.
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