Ultrasonic Characterization of the Transmural Structure of Human Scalp Tissue

Prabish, Catherine N, Blake C. Lawler, Cecille Pemberton Labuda, and Brent K. Hoffmeister. 2025. “Ultrasonic Characterization of the Transmural Structure of Human Scalp Tissue”. In 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America.

Abstract

Interest in transcranial ultrasound has motivated numerous ultrasonic studies of the skull and brain; however, the ultrasonic properties of the scalp are relatively unknown. The goal of this study was to ultrasonically characterize the transmural structure of scalp tissue. Sixty-four formalin fixed specimens were prepared from four human donors and scanned in a water tank with a 25 MHz transducer to create parametric images of the speed of sound (SOS), frequency slope of attenuation (FSA), and integrated attenuation coefficient (IAC). Images revealed three distinct layers: a dermis/ epidermis layer, a subcutaneous layer, and a connective tissue layer. A statistically significant difference was observed between all layers for all parameters in most cases. Exceptions were between the dermis/epidermis layer and the subcutaneous layer for FSA and between the subcutaneous layer and the connective tissue layer for SOS.

 
Last updated on 05/28/2025