Photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging to better measure hidradenitis suppurativa
Official title: Combined Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Imaging for Enabling Quantitative Evaluation of Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11266156 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries a new imaging method that combines photoacoustic and ultrasound scans to better see and measure disease in people with hidradenitis suppurativa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $641,197 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR083470-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11266156 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults with active hidradenitis suppurativa who have visible nodules, abscesses, or draining tunnels and can travel to a clinic for imaging.
✕Less likely to help
People with very mild HS limited to occasional superficial lesions or those seeking immediate therapy rather than diagnostic imaging are unlikely to gain direct benefit.
What this research studies
If I take part, the team will use light-based photoacoustic pulses together with ultrasound to image the skin and tissue under my HS lesions, looking for blood vessel changes, early fluid pockets, tunnels, and tissue changes that doctors can't see by eye. The imaging is noninvasive and builds on ultrasound used in clinics while adding signals from light absorption to detect different tissue components. The PI and team have done human imaging before and worked with dermatologists, pathologists, radiologists, and surgeons to design the system for HS. The goal is to get clearer, quantitative pictures that could help guide treatment choices and surgical planning.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give patients clearer, more accurate imaging to guide treatment decisions, better stage disease, and reduce unnecessary or recurring surgeries.
How similar studies have gone: Ultrasound is already used to image HS and photoacoustic imaging has been piloted in humans, but combining them specifically for HS is a newer approach with limited prior clinical data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Avanaki, Kamran — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Avanaki, Kamran
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Improving imaging techniques for diagnosing and evaluating hidradenitis suppurativa
This study is looking to improve how we diagnose and plan treatment for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) by using new imaging techniques that can spot important signs of the condition that regular methods might miss, helping patients find better treatments faster.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.