High-Frequency Ultrasound Assessment of Skin and Oral Mucosa in Metabolic Syndrome Patients-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Exogenous factors (such as sun exposure, smoking habits, and diet) and endogenous (inflammatory status, general diseases) have a direct influence on skin and soft tissue characteristics. The study's objective was to assess the impact of metabolic syndrome (MS) on characteristics of skin layers in sun-exposed and non-exposed maxillofacial tissues evaluated by high-frequency ultrasound (HFU), as a potential diagnosis and monitoring tool for the aging process.

Material And Methods: The present study included 102 subjects (24 with MS; 78 without MS). Anthropometric parameters and disease history were recorded, and blood samples were harvested in order to assess biochemical parameters of MS. Sun-exposed skin (zygomatic region) and non-exposed oral mucosa of the lower lip were assessed using HFU (DUB cutis, Taberna Pro Medicum) with a 22 MHz probe.

Results: Patients with cardiac disease had significantly lower values for epidermis density ( = 0.002). Gender was independently linked to the aged dermis depth ( < 0.001), aged dermis no. of px (pixels) ( < 0.001), dermis depth ( < 0.001), dermis no. of px ( < 0.001), and subcutaneous tissue density ( < 0.001). Patients with MS had thinner epidermis ( = 0.008) and thinner aged dermis ( = 0.037) when compared to non-MS subjects.

Conclusion: Patients with MS had thinner epidermis and a lower epidermis number of pixels in sun-exposed skin. Women had lower epidermis density and thicker dermis in sun-exposed skin. Our study showed that HFU, as a non-invasive investigation approach, is useful to diagnose and monitor the aging process in skin and oral mucosa, correlated with skin phenotype pathological conditions.