Validation of three‐dimensional laser scanning for the assessment of facial fat changes

• Published in: HIV medicine Vol. 8; no. 8; pp. 498 - 503
• Main Authors: Paton, NI, Yang, Y, Sitoh, Y‐Y, Oo Tha, Naing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2007
• Subjects: accuracy; Adult; Cheek; Cohort Studies; Face; fat; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - virology; HIV Wasting Syndrome - pathology; HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome - pathology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; laser scanning; Lasers; lipoatrophy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; reproducibility; Reproducibility of Results; Treatment Outcome; Weight Gain; Weight Loss
• ISSN: 1464-2662; 1468-1293
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2007.00501.x

Objective We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of three‐dimensional laser scanning as an objective method for detecting facial changes. Methods Facial laser scanning was performed at baseline and repeated after a median of 10 months in 24 HIV‐infected patients, 12 with ongoing lipodystrophy, five with >10% weight loss and seven with >10% weight gain. Surface volume change was estimated using a standardized technique, and compared with change in cheek fat measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results The median laser scanning surface volume changes were −2.1 (range −4.6 to −0.8) mL in the lipoatrophy group, −1.5 (range −6.8 to −1.3) mL in the weight loss group and +3.1 (range −0.2 to +5.4) mL in the weight gain group (the median MRI cheek fat changes were −4.6, −3.7 and +7.0 mL in the three groups, respectively). Laser scanning and MRI measurements were not significantly associated in lipoatrophy patients (r=0.34, P=0.28), but there was a good association in patients who changed weight (r=0.71, P=0.01). Conclusions Laser scanning detects changes in the appropriate direction, although it underestimates MRI‐measured cheek fat changes. Laser scanning may be useful as an objective measure of cheek surface volume changes, but needs further validation in larger clinical cohorts.