Determination of epidermal thickness at various anatomical sites in healthy volunteers using optical coherence tomography

Background: in light of current trends towards a personalized approach to patient care, the objective assessment of in vivo skin thickness remains one of the most relevant challenges in medicine. Despite the apparent accessibility of the skin as an object of study, for many years the question of the actual thickness of the skin in living humans has not been adequately resolved. Aim: to determine the in vivo thickness of the epidermis at different anatomical sites in a group of healthy volunteers. Patients and Methods: an optical coherence tomograph (OCT) was used for non-invasive assessment of the internal structure of superficial human tissues to determine epidermal thickness. Axial and lateral pixel dimensions of the images were calculated in order to establish the correspondence of pixel sizes to micrometer units using surgical sutures of known diameter. OCT images of skin from various anatomical locations were obtained from 46 healthy volunteers. Measurements of the thickness of the epidermis and, separately, the stratum corneum were performed at all anatomical sites. Results: as a result of the calibration procedure, the size corresponding to one pixel on the OCT image, expressed in micrometers, was determined. Based on these pixel dimensions, data on the in vivo epidermal thickness in different anatomical sites in healthy volunteers were obtained. Conclusion: the findings provide data that allow for the determination of epidermal thickness at various anatomical sites in vivo KEYWORDS: optical coherence tomography, skin thickness assessment, epidermis, instrumental methods for assessing epidermal thickness, in vivo skin thickness evaluation. FOR CITATION: Petrova K.S., Schennikova N.K., Proidakova E.V., Karpenko A.A., Sovetsky A.A., Goeva O.N., Guruli G.G., Brueva M.A., Korobova A.A. Determination of epidermal thickness at various anatomical sites in healthy volunteers using optical coherence tomography. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2025;9(6):300–305 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2025-9-6-1