A new approach to the study of skin vascularization.

There are several methods of quantifying the vascularization of tissues, including the skin, but they are imprecise in terms of quantification of the complexity and structure of vascular networks. Fractal analysis can quantify the complexity of any structure existing in nature by using fractional dimension. This study makes a case for this approach by demonstrating the fractal structure of the skin vascular network in the mouse. The skin was removed from the posterior face of the thigh, which is supplied by a musculocutaneous perforator system. Twenty arterial vascular networks were investigated by image analysis and the fractal dimension was determined by the box counting method. Statistical analysis revealed an average mean of fractal dimension D = 1.256 (SD = 0.086), indicating low to intermediate complexity with a narrow distribution of results. D should logically fluctuate within a certain limit, depending on the anatomical structure investigated and its physiological function. These results demonstrate the ability of fractal analysis to quantify the vascular pattern of the skin. Fractal analysis opens a new field of investigation in the study of vascularization patterns and possible vascular modification by different physiological or pathological conditions (flap-delay techniques, tobacco use, diabetes mellitus, classification of diabetic retinopathies).