Non-invasive analysis of skin mechanical properties in patients with lamellar ichthyosis

Background: Reliable methods for the quantitative evaluation of skin of patients with ichthyosis are critically needed. Our purpose was to evaluate the biomechanical parameters of skin in a cohort of patients with clinically diagnosed lamellar ichthyosis. Materials and methods: Twenty-two patients diagnosed with lamellar ichthyosis were studied. Ichthyosis plaques located in upper distal limbs were assayed, and a nearby anatomical region without plaques from the same patient was employed as control. Skin biomechanical properties were studied through a non-invasive device (Cutometer ® MPA 580). Results: Ichthyosis plaques had higher values for the Uf-Ua parameter and lower values for the Ua/Uf, Ur/Ue, and Ur/Uf parameters. Adults and children showed similar statistical differences. There were no significant differences in data from men, whereas in women differences for all of the parameters were found. There was a significant decrease in the hydration and an increase in melanin index in the ichthyosis plaques. Conclusion: Our results suggest that analysis of parameters Uf-Ua, Ua/Uf, Ur/Ue, Ur/Uf, hydration, and melanin index could be employed for quantitative monitoring of skin. Therefore, the non-invasive method applied may be suitable for evaluation of skin of patients with ichthyosis in response to medical treatments. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Non-invasive analysis of skin mechanical properties in patients with lamellar ichthyosis Academic Article in Scopus