Cryosurgery treatment of actinic keratoses monitored by optical coherence tomography: A pilot study

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive optical imaging technique providing high-resolution images. OCT may be useful as a monitoring tool during treatment of actinic keratoses (AK) and skin cancer. Objective: To examine and describe how OCT skin morphology changes when the tissue is exposed to the effects of cryotherapy. Methods: Normal ex vivo skin and in vivo AK lesions were examined. Cryotherapy was applied and OCT images were acquired at defined time points. OCT morphology was described. Results: Cryotherapy treatment produced an opaque iceball, and freezing depth could not be monitored by OCT. Vesicle formation after cryotherapy could be identified in OCT images. In ex vivo skin no vesicle formation occurred. Conclusion: OCT cannot monitor the freezing depth, but OCT was able to visualise AK lesions and vesicle formation shortly after cryotherapy. Results add to the assumption that OCT could be used in monitoring non-invasive treatments.