Imaging of the sublingual microcirculation in elderly patients – a pilot study

Demographic changes, i. e. worldwide increase in older population, require to direct research efforts to age-relevant topics. The present article focuses on microcirculation in elderly patients. Sidestream dark field (SDF) imaging, a relatively new technology, allows direct visualization of mucosal microcirculation and imaging of surface layers of solid organs using a handheld microscopical camera probe. Our study aimed at assessing sublingual microcirculation in elderly patients using this new SDF technology in order to identify and compare changes across different age groups. The study results suggest that even in healthy individuals microvascular flow index (MFI) and functional capillary density (FCD) change significantly during the process of aging.