A taxonomy for nailfold capillaries based on morphology

Author

Jones, B.F. ; Oral, M. ; Ring, E.F.J. ; Morris, C.W.

Author_Institution

Glamorgan Univ., UK

Volume

2

fYear

1999

fDate

36434

Abstract

Skin capillaries may be imaged using video-microscopy for the purpose of studying blood micro-circulation in patients with diabetes and various connective tissue diseases. Nailfold capillaries have been classified according to a taxonomy based on the following descriptive classes: cuticulis, open, tortuous, crossed, bushy and bizarre. They may be modified in disease and have an anomalous width (enlarged, giant) or length (elongated). An automated software system has been produced to classify capillaries and has achieved more objective and consistent results than a panel of clinicians

Keywords

biomedical imaging; blood vessels; diseases; haemorheology; image classification; mathematical morphology; medical image processing; optical microscopy; skin; anomalous width; automated software system; bizarre; blood micro-circulation; bushy; classification; connective tissue diseases; crossed; cuticulis; diabetes; disease; elongated; enlarged; giant; length; morphology; nailfold capillaries; open; skin capillaries; taxonomy; tortuous; video-microscopy; Blood; Collaborative work; Connective tissue; Diabetes; Diseases; Morphology; Shape; Software systems; Taxonomy; Terminology;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

[Engineering in Medicine and Biology, 1999. 21st Annual Conference and the 1999 Annual Fall Meetring of the Biomedical Engineering Society] BMES/EMBS Conference, 1999. Proceedings of the First Joint

Conference_Location

Atlanta, GA

ISSN

1094-687X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5674-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IEMBS.1999.804335

Filename

804335