Skin characterization of diabetes mellitus revealed by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography imaging.

SIGNIFICANCE: Diabetes can lead to the glycation of proteins and dysfunction of skin collagen. Skin lesions are a prevalent clinical symptom of diabetes mellitus (DM). Early diagnosis and assessing the efficacy of treatment for DM are crucial for patient health management. However, performing a non-invasive skin assessment in the early stages of DM is challenging. AIM: By using the polarization-sensitive optical coherent tomography (PS-OCT) imaging technique, it is possible to noninvasively assess the skin changes caused by diabetes. APPROACH: The PS-OCT was used to monitor the polarization characteristics of mouse skin at different stages of diabetes. RESULTS: Based on a multi-layered adhesive tape model, we found that the polarization characteristics (retardation, optic axis, and polarization uniformity) were sensitive to the microstructure changes in the samples. Through this method, we observed significant changes in the polarization states of the skin as diabetes progressed. This was in line with the detected microstructure changes in skin collagen fibers using scanning electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a highly useful approach for non-invasive skin assessment of diabetes.