Near-field Resonance Microwave Imaging for Fibrosis Detection in Patients with Dupuytren Disease

The purpose of this study was to analyze the possibility of detecting and evaluating the characteristics of fibrosis of palmar aponeurosis tissues in Dupuytren's disease using near-field resonant microwave sensing. The study involved 12 patients who underwent an examination before undergoing surgical treatment. The dielectric characteristics of the skin and underlying tissues were evaluated at 4 points, one of which was obviously in an unchanged area, and the rest in a potentially fibrous area. Near-field microwave sensing was performed using a proprietary hardware and software complex that included applicators with a radiation penetration depth of 2 to 5 mm. It has been established that in the area of fibroly transformed palmar aponeurosis, the actual part of the dielectric constant decreases significantly, and this process occurs fairly evenly at various points of the pathological focus. Our studies have also shown that the depth of fibrosis in the examined patients with Dupuytren's disease is approximately 3.5 mm.