Detection of Small Fiber Neuropathy Using Skin Properties
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Summary
Small fiber neuropathy affects millions of peoples worldwide. The neuropathy is causing disabling burning pain and dysautonomia such as dizziness with standing, brain fog, fatigue, constipation, too much or too little sweating. The detection of nerve damage is complicated and not widely available; it requires either skin biopsy or specialized equipment and training. This project utilizes the mathematical processing of skin pictures for the purpose to extract the statistical features related to loss of small fibers. This approach can improve the availability of diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy.
Description
Small fiber neuropathy, including cardiovascular diabetic neuropathy, affects millions of peoples worldwide. The neuropathy is causing disabling burning pain and dysautonomia such as dizziness with standing, brain fog, fatigue, constipation, urinary problems and cold or hot intolerance. Early and accurate diagnosis of neuropathy is essential for correct treatment. Available diagnostic methods are either invasive such as skin biopsy or available only in few specialized centers. This project addresses the limited availability of small fiber neuropathy detection. The project utilizes utilize spe…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with age 18 year or older * Patients that sign the informed consent form to participate in this study * Patients completed the autonomic testing with skin biopsies Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with significant hairs at the legs that will cover the skin * Any dermatological disorder that can affect the skin composition * The use of skin lotion
Interventions
- OtherImage processing of skin
Image processing will be used to extract skin features that correlate with loss of small skin fibers.
Location
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner HospitalBoston, Massachusetts