Caracterización del patrón capilaroscópico del pliegue ungueal en personas sin enfermedad evidente mediante técnicas de inteligencia artificial. Prueba piloto.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: ungueal fold capillary microscopy is a non-invasive method in order to evaluate the skin’s microvasculature that contributes to the diagnosis of several autoimmune and vascular disorders. Normal patterns and abnormalities of capillaries are not yet well defined; they remain mostly as subjective measurements. OBJECTIVE: to characterize, through artificial intelligence techniques, the proximal capillary pattern of ungueal fold in adults without an evident disease. METHODS: for this descriptive study, a digital camera attached to a stereo-microscope was used to capture 763 ungueal fold capillary images from 42 subjects. We applied a computerized image process to analyze and obtain quantitative data of capillary length, width, angle (polarity), density and index of capillary turtuosity that was described in terms of mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values and 5, 25, 50, 75 y 95 percentiles. RESULTS: most of the morphological characteristics studied yielded a positive asymmetry with the median lower than the average. CONCLUSIONS: this pilot assay constitutes a first attempt to quantitatively characterize capillary bed pattern of subjects without evident disease. This procedure establishes the basis for its application in a larger sample which, in a further step, would allow us to contrast the patterns now found with those of patients with connective tissue diseases, and so, to acquire more objective parameters for the diagnosis of these diseases.

Keywords:

Capilaroscopia

microscopía capilar

patrones normales

pliegue ungueal proximal

inteligencia artificial

Capillaroscopy

capillary microscopy

normal patterns

proximal ungueal fold

artificial intelligence

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