Optical Coherence Tomography as a Minimally Invasive Androgenic Alopecia Diagnostic Platform
March 2018
TLDR OCT can effectively diagnose different stages of hair loss non-invasively.
The study explored the use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for androgenic alopecia (AA). Traditional methods like trichoscopy and punch biopsy have limitations in diagnosing early-stage AA. OCT, however, can provide near histopathological 3D images of the scalp, allowing for detailed assessment of hair follicle density and hair shaft and follicle diameters. In a pilot study with eight patients experiencing varying degrees of hair loss, OCT successfully differentiated between different stages of hair loss, demonstrating its potential as an effective diagnostic platform for AA.
