Search

Context: Soft tissue mobilization is frequently employed for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) management. Foam roller and percussive massage are 2 popular soft tissue mobilization methods preferred by various professionals. However, their effects on DOMS symptoms are controversial and there are no studies comparing these 2 methods. The aim of the present study was to compare the acute effects of soft tissue mobilization with a foam roller or a percussive massage device on DOMS in young male recreational athletes. Design: A parallel, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Methods: Thirty-six participants (median [interquartile range 25/75]; age: 20.0 [19.3/21.0] y) were randomly allocated to percussive massage group (n = 12), foam roller group (n = 12), and control group (n = 12). First, a fatigue protocol targeting quadriceps femoris was performed. Then, participants received soft tissue mobilization with foam roller/percussive massage or rested for 10 minutes according to their groups. Pain and fatigue were evaluated by a visual analog scale, and the skin surface temperature of over the quadriceps femoris was measured with thermal camera imaging. Evaluations were performed at baseline, following fatigue protocol, at 24th hour, and at 48th hour. Changes from the baseline at 24th and 48th hours were compared between groups. Results: No significant between-group differences were observed at the assessments performed at 24th or 48th hour regarding the changes from baseline in pain (P value for 24th hour = .905, P value for 48th hour = .733), fatigue (P value for 24th hour = .895, P value for 48th hour = .606), or skin surface temperature measurements (P values for 24th hour = between .300 and .925, P values for 48th hour = between .311 and .750). Conclusions: Soft tissue mobilizations applied with foam roller or percussive massage device do not seem to be superior to passive resting in alleviating DOMS symptoms in recreational athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical Scenario: Stress fractures are one of the most common injuries in athletes. Unfortunately, they are hard to diagnose, require multiple radiology exams and follow-up which leads to more exposure to radiation and an increase in cost. Stress fractures that are mismanaged can lead to serious complications and poorer outcomes for the athlete. During the rehabilitation process, it would be beneficial to be able to monitor the healing of fractures to know when it is safe to gradually allow a patient to a return to sport because the return to activity is not usually objective and based on pain level. Clinical Question: Can infrared thermography (IRT) be a useful tool to measure the pathophysiological state of the fracture healing? The aim of this critically appraised topic is to analyze the current evidence of IRT for measuring the temperature change in fractures to provide recommendations for medical practitioners. Summary of Key Findings: For this critically appraised topic, we examined 3 articles that compared medical imaging and IRT over multiple time points during the follow-up. The 3 articles concluded that a 1 °C asymmetry in temperature followed by a return to normal (less than 0.3 °C) temperature during the healing process of fractures can be monitored using IRT. Clinical Bottom Line: Once the patient has been diagnosed with a fracture, IRT can safely be used to monitor the evolution of a fracture. When the thermogram progresses from a hot thermogram to a cold thermogram, the healing is considered good enough to return to sport. Strength of Recommendation: Grade 2 evidence exists to support IRT being used by clinicians to monitor fracture healing. Due to the limited research and novelty of the technology, the current recommendations are for following the treatment of the fracture once the initial diagnosis is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a secondary headache characterized by chronic, unilateral headache. Ultrasound-guided injections of the greater occipital nerve (GON) and the third occipital nerve (TON) are effective in the treatment of CEH, as is meridian sinew tuina for the treatment of CEH, but the evidence of clinical efficacy of combining these two therapies is valid. Therefore, we have designed a randomized controlled trial with the aim of investigating the efficacy and safety of ultrasound localization meridian sinew tuina combined with GON and TON injections for the treatment of CEH. Methods and analysis: In this study, we enroll 60 patients experiencing CEH. The control group receives ultrasound-guided injections of GON and TON. The intervention group is treated with ultrasound localization meridian sinew tuina combined with the injection of GON and TON. Meridian sinew tuina is performed once a day for 30 min for 3 days. The primary observational index includes the Short-Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). The Secondary outcomes include Cervical Range of Motion (ROM) and Medical Infrared Thermography (MIT). MIT is used to measure the change in skin temperature in the area of the patient's meridian sinew tuina treatment of GON and TON before and after the intervention. There are 5 time points assessed as baseline, day 3, day 15, day 30, and day 60. Discussion: This study proposes to combine ultrasound-guided injections of GON and TON for the treatment of CEH after identifying the treatment area of meridian sinew tuina under ultrasound localization. Meanwhile, MIT is utilized to provide objective evidence of the efficacy of CEH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Aerobic exercise is closely associated with the vital functions of patients with scoliosis. Infrared thermography (IRT) has been increasingly applied in physiological measurements in recent years. OBJECTIVE: This observational study aimed to use IRT to examine the back body surface temperatures of patients with idiopathic scoliosis during aerobic exercise. METHODS: Forty-two participants who completed a pre-test were divided into a scoliotic group and a non-scoliotic group. Both groups completed a 30-minute cycling exercise, during which their back body temperature was measured using IRT, and the root-mean-square of the back electromyography value after 30 minutes of aerobic exercise was analyzed. RESULTS: The back body temperature decreased significantly after 30 minutes of exercise in the non-scoliotic group. In contrast, the back body temperature (at the trapezius and quadratus lumborum muscles) was asymmetric or increased after exercise in the scoliotic group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that when patients with scoliosis exercise, their back body temperature should be assessed thoroughly to prevent adverse physiological reactions potentially caused by back body temperature imbalances as well as the potential health problems caused by poor heat dissipation. In addition, such observations can be useful in the early screening of scoliosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound temperature is one of the wound biomarkers representing the wound healing progress. The diabetic wound is associated with a prolonged inflammation phase marked by an increasing wound temperature and erythematous wound. Purple sweet potato extract (PSP), an anthocyanin-rich plant, improved wound healing in both diabetic and non-diabetic wounds in animal studies. This study aims to know the effect of purple sweet potato ethanol extract on wound temperature and erythema in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats were divided into four groups: normal rats + gel placebo; diabetic rats + gel placebo; diabetic rats + PSP 10%; and diabetic rats + PSP 15%. Diabetes mellitus was induced by streptozotocin injection. After diabetic confirmation, the back of the rats was excised and the gel was administered daily for 14 days. The wound temperature was measured at the wound surface using infrared thermography on days 0, 3, 7, and 14. The wounds were photographed and erythema analysis was conducted using Corel Photo paint®. Diabetic wounds exhibited higher surface temperature compared with the normal wound (37.08°C ± 0.29 vs 35.13°C ± 0.46) on day 14 of examination and topical application the purple sweet potato ethanol extract gel 10% and 15% markedly decreased the wound temperature at day 7 and 14 compared with the diabetes wound (p<0.0001). Wound erythema was significantly reduced in the PSP 10% and 15% diabetic wound treatment groups on day 14 (p<0.05). Purple sweet potato extract gel treatment was found to have the potential to reduce inflammation in diabetic wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although warmth is a key sign of inflammatory skin lesions, an objective assessment and follow‐up of the temperature changes are rarely done in dermatology. The recent availability of accurate, sensitive and cost‐effective thermography devices has made the implementation of thermography in clinical settings feasible. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize the evidence around the value and pitfalls of infrared thermography (IRT) when used in the dermatology clinic. A systematic literature search was done for original articles using IRT in skin disorders. The results concerning the potential of IRT for diagnosis, severity staging and monitoring of skin diseases were collected. The data on the sensitivity and specificity of IRT were extracted. Numerous studies have investigated IRT in various skin diseases, revealing its significant value in wound management, skin infections (e.g. cellulitis), vascular abnormalities and deep skin inflammation (e.g. hidradenitis suppurativa). For other dermatological applications such as the interpretation of intradermal and patch allergy testing, hyper−/anhidrosis, erythromelalgia, cold urticaria and lymph node metastases more complex calculations, provocation tests or active cooling procedures are required. Dermatologists should be aware of a learning curve of IRT and recognize factors contributing to false positive and false negative results. Nonetheless, enough evidence is available to recommend IRT as a supplement to the clinical evaluation for the diagnosis, severity and follow‐up of several skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the presented research, we characterized the contralateral effect after applying capacitive and resistive transfer of energy (TECAR) in the treatment of active myofascial trigger point (MTrP). In order to assess the contralateral effect, we used the infrared thermovision method. We hypothesize that by means of thermal imaging studies, we will be able to present and confirm the contralateral effect which can be important in establishing the MTrP treatment protocol with the use of TECAR. Material and methods: In the study, thermographic imaging was performed on a group of 6 volunteers with an age range [25-45] years (mean age: 32.3 years ± 9.83 years) who were randomly selected for the study from among people practicing recreational sports and showing the clinical presence of active MTrP in the upper trapezius muscle (UT). Results: On both sides, the reference area (side untreated) and the target area (side treated), there was an increase in the percentage changes of isotherms. These results indicate the presence of a contralateral effect. The use of TECAR therapy ipsilaterally in the treatment of MTrP in UT results in an increase of temperature on the symmetrical body part and it may be connected with the presence of vascular contralateral effect on the untreated side. Conclusions: These changes were investigated by IR which, as our research shows, can be an effective form of assessing the therapeutic effects of TECAR in MTrP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses calculation of the thermophysical processes occurring in a thermoelectric device (TED) for the correction of cerebral hyperthermia by cooling the head. The computational model consists of solutions to three problems: determination of the temperature field of the head area undergoing cooling; determination of the parameters of the thermoelectric modules (TEM) included in the TED; determination of the characteristics of the heat removal system from the hot junctions of the thermal elements in the thermal modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative assessment of the designs and characteristics of various antennas used in medical radiothermographs was carried out. The results showed that on the basis of a specified set of parameters, a small-sized printed vibrator antenna with a figure-of-eight emitter, which has an noise immunity level of 35 dB, a measurement depth of 44 mm, and a frequency band of 2. 3 GHz, has the best functional efficiency from the point of view of using these antennas as elements of conformal antenna arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure ulcers (PU) are a globally recognised healthcare concern, with their largely preventable development prompting the implementation of targeted preventive strategies. Risk assessment is the first step to planning individualised preventive measures. However, despite the long use of risk assessment, and the >70 risk assessment tools currently available, PUs remain a significant concern. Various technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, subepidermal moisture measurement, cytokine measurement, thermography and ultrasound are emerging as promising tools for PU detection, and subsequent prevention of more serious PU damage. Given the rise in availability of these technologies, this advances the question of whether our current approaches to PU prevention can be enhanced with the use of technology. This article delves into these technologies, suggesting that they could lead healthcare in the right direction, toward optimal assessment and adoption of focused prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the case of a 23-year-old woman who reported weakness in the left upper limb, decreased warmth, numbness in the fingers, pain in the clavicular region, and a severe cold sensation in the limb. A thermal imaging camera examination was performed for diagnostic purposes, which guided further diagnostic and therapeutic management towards arterial thoracic outlet syndrome (aTOS). Following surgery and rehabilitation procedures, significant remission of symptoms was achieved and the patient's condition improved. This is the first report on the diagnosis of aTOS using thermal imaging, paving the way for further clinical research into this effective, rapid, and radiation-free method of diagnostic imaging. Conclusion: Thermal imaging is one of the most effective, readily available, and patient-safe methods for diagnosing vascular disease associated with flow disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung diseases represent a significant global health threat, impacting both well-being and mortality rates. Diagnostic procedures such as Computed Tomography (CT) scans and X-ray imaging play a pivotal role in identifying these conditions. X-rays, due to their easy accessibility and affordability, serve as a convenient and cost-effective option for diagnosing lung diseases. Our proposed method utilized the Contrast-Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) enhancement technique on X-ray images to highlight the key feature maps related to lung diseases using DenseNet201. We have augmented the existing Densenet201 model with a hybrid pooling and channel attention mechanism. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our model over well-known pre-trained models, such as VGG16, VGG19, InceptionV3, Xception, ResNet50, ResNet152, ResNet50V2, ResNet152V2, MobileNetV2, DenseNet121, DenseNet169, and DenseNet201. Our model achieves impressive accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-scores of 95.34%, 97%, 96%, and 96%, respectively. We also provide visual insights into our model's decision-making process using Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) to identify normal, pneumothorax, and atelectasis cases. The experimental results of our model in terms of heatmap may help radiologists improve their diagnostic abilities and labelling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-specific lower back pain (NLBP) is treated with a variety of therapies, including health education, exercise therapy, soft tissue release, psychological interventions, and shockwave therapy. However, some studies have shown that core stability training or fascial release therapy alone is not effective in the treatment of low back pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of core stability training on patients’ inflammatory cytokine levels and lumbar muscle temperature when combined with fascial release for the treatment of non-specific low back pain. In this study, a total of 60 patients with non-specific low back pain who were treated in Mindong Hospital of Ningde City between December 2021 and January 2023 were selected and randomly and equally divided into a control group (30 cases) and an experimental group (30 cases). The control group received core stability training, while the experimental group added fascial release surgery to this. We compared and assessed the pain visual analog score (VAS), Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI), lumbar spine mobility (including anterior flexion, posterior extension, left flexion, and right flexion), as well as levels of inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-a, and muscle tissue temperature in the two groups. This study has been successfully implemented and covered 60 patients throughout the trials. Upon comparison, the two groups did not show statistically significant differences in baseline data such as age, gender and duration of disease (p> 0.05). After four weeks of treatment, the test group showed statistically significant (p< 0.05) differences in VAS scores, ODI scores, and IL-6 and TNF-a levels that were significantly lower than those of the control group. It is worth mentioning that the muscle tissue temperature of the patients in the test group, as well as their performance in lumbar anterior flexion, posterior extension, left flexion, and right flexion mobility, were significantly better than those of the control group, and these differences also showed statistical significance (p< 0.05). The combination of core stability training and fascial release demonstrates significant clinical results in the treatment of nonspecific lower back pain. Through medical thermography and serum inflammatory factor testing, we were able to assess the treatment effect more objectively, providing a strong basis for future clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Protocol description for renal perfusion study using thermographic technology and description of the thermographic and clinical behavior of the transplanted kidneys before and after unclamping. Methods: Infrared thermographic images of renal grafts are obtained before kidney reperfusion, 10 min after and just before closing the surgical wound. Thermographic data is evaluated together with the type of graft and donor, cold ischemia time, hypovascularized areas determined by the surgeon during surgical intervention, alterations in vascular flow in postoperative echo-Doppler, time at the beginning of graft function and serum creatinine monitoring during postoperative follow-up. Results: 17 grafts were studied. The mean temperature of the grafts before reperfusion, 10 min after and at the end of the surgery were 18.7 °C (SD 6.27), 32.36 °C (SD1.47) and 32.07 °C (SD1.78) respectively. 4 grafts presented hypoperfused areas after reperfusion. These areas presented a lower temperature compared to the well perfused parenchyma surface using thermographic images. Conclusion: The study of the usefulness and applicability of thermography can allow the development of tools that provide additional objective information on organ perfusion in real time and non-invasive manner. Our protocol and initial results can contribute to provide new evidence. Further analyses should be developed to shed light on the role of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acupuncture is a method for treating tic disorder. However, there is a lack of sufficient clinical objective basis in regards of its treatment efficacy. Indeed, there are structural abnormalities present in energy metabolism and infrared thermography in children with tic disorder. Therefore, this study proposes a clinical trial scheme to explore the possible mechanism of acupuncture in treating tic disorder. Methods: This randomized controlled trial will recruit a total of 90 children, in which they will be divided into non-intervention group and intervention group. The non-intervention group consists of 30 healthy children while the intervention group consists of 60 children with tic disorder. The intervention group will be randomly allocated into either the treatment group or the control group, with 30 children randomly assigned in each group. Children either received acupuncture treatment and behavioral therapy (treatment group) or sham acupuncture treatment and behavioral therapy (control group), 3 treatment sessions per week for a period of 12 weeks, with a total of 36 treatment sessions. Outcome measures include YGTSS, urinary and fecal metabolomics, infrared thermography of body surface including governor vessel. For the intervention group, these outcome measures will be collected at the baseline and 90th day prior to intervention. Whereas for the non-intervention group, outcome measures (excluding YGTSS) will be collected at the baseline. Discussion: The main outcome will be to observe the changes of the severity of tic condition, the secondary outcome will be to observe the changes of structural characteristic of infrared thermography of body surface/acupoints along the governor vessel and to evaluate the changes of urinary and fecal metabolomics at the end of the treatment, so as to analyze the relationship between them and to provide further knowledge in understanding the possible mechanism of acupuncture in improving the clinical symptoms via regulating and restoring the body metabolomics network, which in future it can develop as a set of clinical guideline (diagnosis, treatment, assessment, prognosis) in treating tic disorder. ChiCTR2300075188(Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn, registered on 29 August 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Early cancer detection is crucial for favorable patient outcomes, with mammography playing a central role in breast cancer detection. However, challenges persist, such as limited sensitivity in dense breast tissue and low specificity leading to excessive invasive testing. Leveraging the distinct biological characteristics of malignant tumors, we employed high-sensitivity thermal imaging to identify temperature changes associated with cancer. This innovative approach integrates a novel imaging technique and a physics-based prediction model to accurately ascertain the presence of breast cancer, regardless of size, location, and breast density. Our goal is to develop this technique as a complementary tool to mammography for widespread screening and as a cost-effective, stand-alone method for specific populations underserved by mammography. Cancer is characterized by increased metabolic activity and vascularity, leading to temperature changes in cancerous tissues compared to normal cells. This study focused on patients with abnormal mammogram findings or a clinical suspicion of breast cancer, exclusively those confirmed by biopsy. Utilizing an ultra-high sensitivity thermal camera and prone patient positioning, we measured surface temperatures integrated with an inverse modeling technique based on heat transfer principles to predict malignant breast lesions. Involving 25 breast tumors, our technique accurately predicted all tumors, with maximum errors below 5 mm in size and less than 1 cm in tumor location. Predictive efficacy was unaffected by tumor size, location, or breast density, with no aberrant predictions in the contralateral normal breast. Infrared temperature profiles and inverse modeling using both techniques successfully predicted breast cancer, highlighting its potential in breast cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Early detection of free flap compromise is critical for salvage of the flap. Various methods of free flap monitoring have been described, but clinical assessment is the standard method for among all. In this study, role of infrared thermography is evaluated for free flap monitoring. Materials and Methods In patients undergoing free flap surgery, monitoring was done using standard clinical parameters and infrared thermography as per our institutional protocol. Mean temperature difference (∆T) between the flap and the surrounding skin was calculated using the temperature readings from the thermal images intra- and postoperatively. The accuracy of infrared thermography in flap monitoring was assessed in comparison to the standard clinical protocol. Results Forty-one flaps were included in the analysis, out of which five flaps got compromised. It was observed that the mean temperature difference was higher (mean ∆T 0.20–0.59 vs. 2.38–3.32) when there was a flap compromise, and this temperature difference was evident even before the development of clinical signs. The temperature difference in venous thrombosis (mean ∆T 1.0–2.7) was found to be slightly lower than in arterial insufficiency (mean ∆T 2.1–4.4). For a ∆T cutoff value of 2°C, the thermal camera had a sensitivity of 88.6%, specificity of 98.9%, positive predictive value of 93.9%, and negative predictive value of 97.7%. Conclusion Infrared thermography is a valuable and noninvasive objective tool in free flap monitoring, which can detect flap compromise (increasing value of ∆T) even before it becomes clinically evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This research investigated the performance properties of protective gloves alongside improvement in thermo-physiological comfort properties. Methods. Knitted gloves prepared from filament stainless steel, filament Kevlar, staple spun Kevlar and filament glass were used in the core, while 100% viscose rayon and 50/50% polyester/viscose rayon were used in the sheath. Gloves were tested for cut resistance, tear resistance, puncture resistance and abrasion resistance as the prime focus, and thermo-physiological comfort properties were also tested. In this research, a multi-response optimization technique, i.e., principal component analysis, was applied to identify the best yarn combination for gloves based on the aforementioned properties. Thermal images were also taken in constant ambient conditions for temperature distribution maps across the hand's surface. Results. All of the results were evaluated statistically with analysis of variance, and concluded that the effects of the core yarn on thermo-physiological properties were less significant. Conclusion. The results revealed that samples having dual-core yarn exhibited better in terms of overall properties. The sample having dual-core filament Kevlar and staple spun Kevlar ranked the best. In addition, developed samples exhibited better comfort properties than the control sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection is a serious complication following joint replacement. The development of bacterial biofilms bestows antibiotic resistance and restricts treatment via implant retention surgery. Electromagnetic induction heating is a novel technique for antibacterial treatment of metallic surfaces that has demonstrated in-vitro efficacy. Previous studies have always employed stationary, non-portable devices. This study aims to assess the in-vitro efficacy of induction-heating disinfection of metallic surfaces using a new Portable Disinfection System based on Induction Heating. Methods: Mature biofilms of three bacterial species: S. epidermidis ATCC 35,984, S. aureus ATCC 25,923, E. coli ATCC 25,922, were grown on 18 × 2 mm cylindrical coupons of Titanium-Aluminium-Vanadium (Ti6Al4V) or Cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloys. Study intervention was induction-heating of the coupon surface up to 70ºC for 210s, performed using the Portable Disinfection System (PDSIH). Temperature was monitored using thermographic imaging. For each bacterial strain and each metallic alloy, experiments and controls were conducted in triplicate. Bacterial load was quantified through scraping and drop plate techniques. Data were evaluated using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test for 2 group comparison. Statistical significance was fixed at p ≤ 0.05. Results: All bacterial strains showed a statistically significant reduction of CFU per surface area in both materials. Bacterial load reduction amounted to 0.507 and 0.602 Log10 CFU/mL for S. aureus on Ti6Al4V and CoCrMo respectively, 5.937 and 3.500 Log10 CFU/mL for E. coli, and 1.222 and 0.372 Log10 CFU/mL for S. epidermidis. Conclusions: Electromagnetic induction heating using PDSIH is efficacious to reduce mature biofilms of S aureus, E coli and S epidermidis growing on metallic surfaces of Ti6Al4V and CoCrMo alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural network (CNN) models were devised and evaluated to classify infrared thermal (IRT) images of pediatric wrist fractures. The images were recorded from 19 participants with a wrist fracture and 21 without a fracture (sprain). The injury diagnosis was by X-ray radiography. For each participant, 299 IRT images of their wrists were recorded. These generated 11,960 images (40 participants × 299 images). For each image, the wrist region of interest (ROI) was selected and fast Fourier transformed (FFT) to obtain a magnitude frequency spectrum. The spectrum was resized to 100 × 100 pixels from its center as this region represented the main frequency components. Image augmentations of rotation, translation and shearing were applied to the 11,960 magnitude frequency spectra to assist with the CNN generalization during training. The CNN had 34 layers associated with convolution, batch normalization, rectified linear unit, maximum pooling and SoftMax and classification. The ratio of images for the training and test was 70:30, respectively. The effects of augmentation and dropout on CNN performance were explored. Wrist fracture identification sensitivity and accuracy of 88% and 76%, respectively, were achieved. The CNN model was able to identify wrist fractures; however, a larger sample size would improve accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and visualisation of medical imaging systems, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), become common approaches for assisting physicians with a visual representation of anatomy structures, a novelty approach adding functional elements of the human body started being explored. So, medical thermography has been used as a complementary imaging technique for diagnosis and monitoring of pathologies, based on the identification of surface temperature changes. Therefore, this paper presents a new open-source software approach to multimodal medical imaging. The proposed methodology involves the 3D reconstruction of an anatomical model and thermal model, being the latter based on a Structure from Motion (SfM) approach, and the combination of both models, providing a complete 3D multimodal model that contains inner information regarding the anatomy of the body, and outer physiological information. It showed efficient results regarding the visualisation of the multimodal model in a single coordinate system in different views (axial, coronal, and sagittal), allowing it to be inspected by physicians, whilst improving pathology assessment. The 3D multimodal models have potential to be expanded to medical applications, such as diagnosis, surgery, and follow-up care, whilst being cost effective by resorting to available open-source software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Accurate assessment of burn depth and burn wound healing potential is essential to determine early treatments. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-invasive and objective tool to do this. This systematic review evaluated the accuracy of IRT to determine burn wound healing potential. Method: This systematic review and meta-analysis used MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro, DiTA and CENTRAL databases. IRT data were extracted from primary studies and categorised into four cells (i.e., true positives, false positives, true negatives and false negatives). Subgroup analysis was performed according to methods used to capture thermal images. Results: The search strategy identified 2727 publications; however, 15 articles were selected for review and 11 for meta-analysis. In our meta-analysis, the accuracy of IRT was 84.8% (63% sensitivity and 81.9% specificity). Conclusion: IRT is a moderately accurate tool to identify burn depth and healing potential. Thus, IRT should be used carefully for evaluating burn wounds. Declaration of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer stands as the most diagnosed cancer among women globally, accounting for one in four cancer cases. Despite this, there is a scarcity of literature addressing prevention strategies and approaches aimed at reducing the risk of breast cancer acquisition, as well as secondary prevention strategies aimed at mitigating morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. The objective of this review is to underscore novel approaches and strategies for the prevention and management of breast cancer. This review is particularly important in the context of resource-poor and developing countries facing challenges in curbing the burden of this disease. This review highlights the importance of addressing multifactorial risk factors with a multiprong approach strategy. This approach encompasses dietary and lifestyle modification, alongside pharmaceutical interventions. Furthermore, recent advances and future directions, including nutrigenomics and early detection strategies, are elucidated. Coordinated and planned efforts at all levels are imperative, encompassing the effective utilization of health education, health promotion, capacity building, and the integration of emerging modalities like precision medicine, targeted approaches, nutrigenomics, and advanced screening tools such as thermography. Exploration of avenues like chemoprevention, precision medicine, and immunoprevention, including targeted approaches, holds promise for further investigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ability of central-to-peripheral temperature gradients using thermal imaging to predict in-hospital mortality in surgical patients with septic shock. Methods: This prospective observational study included adult patients with septic shock admitted to the intensive care unit postoperatively. Serum lactate (in mmol/L), capillary refill time (CRT) (in seconds), toe (peripheral) and canthal (central) temperature by infrared thermography and the corresponding room temperature in (Celsius [°C]) were assessed at the time of admission, 6- and 12 h after admission. The canthal-toe and room-toe temperature gradients were calculated. According to their final outcomes, patients were divided into survivors and non-survivors. The ability of canthal-toe temperature gradient (primary outcome), room-toe temperature gradient, toe temperature, serum lactate and CRT, measured at the prespecified timepoints to predict in-hospital mortality was analyzed using the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Fifty-six patients were included and were available for the final analysis and 41/56 (73%) patients died. The canthal-toe and room-toe temperature gradients did not show significant accuracy in predicting mortality at any timepoint. Only the toe temperature measurement at 12 h showed good ability in predicting in-hospital mortality with AUC (95% confidence interval) of 0.72 (0.58–0.84) and a negative predictive value of 70% at toe temperature of ≤ 25.5 °C. Both serum lactate and CRT showed good ability to predict in-hospital mortality at all timepoints with high positive predictive values (> 90%) at cut-off value of > 2.5–4.3 mmol/L for the serum lactate and > 3-4.2 s for the CRT. Conclusion: In post-operative emergency surgical patients with septic shock, high serum lactate and CRT can accurately predict in-hospital mortality and were superior to thermal imaging, especially in the positive predictive values. Toe temperature > 25.5 °C, measured using infrared thermal imaging can exclude in-hospital mortality with a negative predictive value of 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which characterized the image quality of phase contrast magnetic resonance (MR) thermography sequences in patients with head and neck tumors for planning interstitial thermal ablation procedures. Topics discussed include calculation of signal-to-noise ratio for each of the head and neck lesions depicted on MR thermography images, contrast-to-noise calculation, and evaluation of patient demographics and tumors.

There is a life after breast cancer. The prerequisite is early detection. Breast cancer is curable when detected early, tiny, and has not spread – regular screening aids in early detection. Clinical Thermography and artificial intelligence are potentially a good fit for early breast cancer screening. This survey paper presents a systematic review of artificial intelligence-based breast cancer screening using thermal infrared cameras. Initially, we will present the qualitative analysis of the existing literature regarding the trend and distribution. This review manuscript will then explore the literature about infrared thermal image acquisition and storage techniques. We will then highlight various segmentation techniques used for processing infrared thermal images. This paper presents the experimental results of the traditional image processing and deep learning-based segmentation techniques available in the literature using infrared breast thermal images. We then summarize the works that have used artificial intelligence to segment and classify infrared thermal images. The existing literature shows opportunities to explore the area of explainable artificial intelligence (AI). Explainable AI will make clinical Thermography into assistive technology for the medical community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gerokomos is the property of Indemm Farma SL and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The results of mathematical modeling of the electric field of a printed ring applicator antenna designed for microwave radiothermometry of breasts are presented. The calculated antenna parameters and radiobrightness temperatures in the projections of malignant tumors were compared for different groups of breasts. The proposed printed ring antenna design is recommended for use in conformal antenna arrays for medical radiothermographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermographic image analysis is a subfield of diagnostic image processing aimed at detecting breast abnormalities in women at an early stage. It is a developing field of research and its effectiveness and scope require scientific assessment to be determined. An open-access dataset has been created for the scientific community to test and develop techniques for computational detection of normal and abnormal breast conditions from thermograms. This dataset is a valuable resource for researchers due to the scarcity of publicly available datasets of breast thermographic images. It includes thermographic images of the female chest area in three capture positions: anterior, left oblique and right oblique. The data set comes from 119 women ranging from 18 to 81 years of age. A table is attached to the dataset with the diagnosis of breast pathology, showing that 84 patients had benign pathology and 35 patients had malignant pathology. The diagnoses of women with healthy breast pathology are not included.

In this study, we explored the use of thermal imaging technology combined with computer vision techniques for assessing surgical incision healing. We processed 1189 thermal images, annotated by experts to define incision boundaries and healing statuses. Using these images, we developed a machine learning model based on YOLOV8, which automates the recognition of incision areas, lesion segmentation and healing classification. The dataset was divided into training, testing and validation sets in a 7:2:1 ratio. Our results show high accuracy rates in incision location recognition, lesion segmentation and healing classification, indicating the model's effectiveness as a precise and automated diagnostic tool for surgical incision healing assessment. Conclusively, our thermal image‐based machine learning model demonstrates excellent performance in wound assessment, paving the way for its clinical application in intelligent and standardized wound management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased peripheral arterial disease (PAD) incidence associated with aging and increased incidence of cardiovascular conditions underscores the significance of assessing lower limb perfusion. This study aims to report on the correlation and utility of two novel non‐invasive instruments: transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) and forward‐looking infrared (FLIR) thermography. A total of 68 patients diagnosed with diabetic foot ulcer and PAD who underwent vascular studies at a single institution between March 2022 and March 2023 were included. Cases with revascularization indications were treated by a cardiologist. Following the procedure, ambient TcPO2 and FLIR thermography were recorded on postoperative days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28. In impaired limbs, TcPO2 was 12.3 ± 2 mmHg and FLIR thermography was 28.7 ± 0.9°C. TcPO2 (p = 0.002), FLIR thermography (p = 0.015) and ankle–brachial index (p = 0.047) values significantly reduced with greater vascular obstruction severity. Revascularization (n = 39) significantly improved TcPO2 (12.5 ± 1.7 to 19.1 ± 2.2 mmHg, p = 0.011) and FLIR (28.8 ± 1.8 to 32.6 ± 1.6°C; p = 0.018), especially in severe impaired angiosomes. TcPO2 significantly increased immediately post‐procedure, then gradually, whereas the FLIR thermography values plateaued from day 1 to 28 post‐procedure. In conclusion, FLIR thermography is a viable non‐invasive tool for evaluating lower limb perfusion based on angiosomes, comparable with TcPO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) creates a retrograde flow along the aorta competing with the left ventricle (LV) in the so-called 'mixing zone' (MZ). Detecting it is essential to understand which of the LV or the ECMO flow perfuses the upper body – particularly the brain and the coronary arteries – in case of differential hypoxemia (DH). Methods: We described a mock circulation loop (MCL) that enabled experimental research on DH. We recreated the three clinical situations relevant to clinicians: where the brain is either totally perfused by the ECMO or the LV or both. In a second step, we used this model to investigate two scenarios to diagnose DH: (i) pulse pressure and (ii) thermodilution via injection of cold saline in the ECMO circuit. Results: The presented MCL was able to reproduce the three relevant mixing zones within the aortic arch, thus allowing to study DH. Pulse pressure was unable to detect location of the MZ. However, the thermodilution method was able to detect whether the brain was totally perfused by the ECMO or not. Conclusion: We validated an in-vitro differential hypoxemia model of cardiogenic shock supported by VA ECMO. This MCL could be used as an alternative to animal studies for research scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far‐infrared radiation (FIR) has been investigated for reduction of pain and improvement of dermal blood flow. The FIRTECH patch is a medical device designed to re‐emit FIR radiated by the body. This phase 1 study was conducted to evaluate the local effects of the FIRTECH patch on local skin perfusion, microcirculation and oxygenation. This prospective, randomized, open‐label, parallel designed study admitted 20 healthy participants to a medical research facility for treatment for 31 h on three anatomical locations. During treatment, imaging assessments consisting of laser speckle contrast imaging, near‐infrared spectroscopy, side‐stream dark‐field microscopy, multispectral imaging and thermography were conducted regularly on patch‐treated skin and contralateral non‐treated skin. The primary endpoint was baseline perfusion increase during treatment on the upper back. Secondary endpoints included change in baseline perfusion, oxygen consumption and temperature of treated versus untreated areas. The primary endpoint was not statistically significantly different between treated and non‐treated areas. The secondary endpoints baseline perfusion on the forearm (least square means [LSMs] difference 2.63 PU, 95% CI: 0.97, 4.28), oxygen consumption (LSMs difference: 0.42 arbitrary units [AUs], 95% CI: 0.04, 0.81) and skin temperature (LSMs difference 0.35°C, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.6) were statistically significantly higher in treated areas. Adverse events observed during the study were mild and transient. The vascular response to the FIRTECH patch was short‐lived suggesting a non‐thermal vasodilatory effect of the patch. The FIRTECH patch was well tolerated, with mild and transient adverse events observed during the study. These results support the therapeutic potential of FIR in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the inflammatory (IL‐1 alpha) and thermal (infrared thermography) reactions of healthy sacral skin to sustained, irritating mechanical loading. We further acquired digital photographs of the irritated skin (at the visible light domain) to assess whether infrared imaging is advantageous. For clinical context, the skin status was monitored under a polymeric membrane dressing known to modulate the inflammatory skin response. The IL‐1 alpha and infrared thermography measurements were consistent in representing the skin status after 40 min of continuous irritation. Infrared thermography overpowered conventional digital photography as a contactless optical method for image processing inputs, by revealing skin irritation trends that were undetectable through digital photography in the visual light, not even with the aid of advanced image processing. The polymeric membrane dressings were shown to offer prophylactic benefits over simple polyurethane foam in the aspects of inflammation reduction and microclimate management. We also concluded that infrared thermography is a feasible method for monitoring the skin health status and the risk for pressure ulcers, as it avoids the complexity of biological marker studies and empowers visual skin assessments or digital photography of skin, both of which were shown to be insufficient for detecting the inflammatory skin status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy surgery represents a therapeutic opportunity for those patients who do not respond to drug therapy. However, an important challenge is the precise identification of the epileptogenic area during surgery. Since it can be hard to delineate, it makes it necessary to use auxiliary tools as a guide during the surgical procedure. Electrocorticography (ECoG), despite having shown favorable results in terms of reducing post-surgical seizures, have certain limitations. Brain mapping using infrared thermography mapping and a new thermosensitive/thermochromic silicone (TTS) in epilepsy surgery has introduced a new resource of noninvasive and real-time devices that allow the localization of irritative zones. Methods: Sixty consecutive patients with drug-resistant epilepsy with surgical indications who decided to participate voluntarily in the study were included in the study. We measured brain temperature using two quantitative methods and a qualitative method: the TTS sheet. In all cases, we used ECoG as the gold standard to identify irritative areas, and all brain tissue samples obtained were sent to pathology for diagnosis. Results: In the subgroup in which the ECoG detected irritative areas (n = 51), adding the results in which there was a correlation with the different methods, the efficiency obtained to detect irritative areas is 94.11% (n = 48/51, P = 0.0001) while the infrared thermography mapping method independently has an efficiency of 91.66% (P = 0.0001). The TTS has a sensitivity of 95.71% and a specificity of 97.9% (P = 0.0001) to detect hypothermic areas that correlate with the irritative zones detected by ECoG. No postoperative infections or wound dehiscence were documented, so the different methodologies used do not represent an additional risk for the surgical proceedings. Conclusion: We consider that the infrared thermography mapping using high-resolution infrared thermography cameras and the TTS are both accurate and safe methods to identify irritative areas in epilepsy surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of infrared thermography technology (IRT) in flap has become a major focus of research, as it provides a non‐invasive, real‐time, and quantitative approach for monitoring flap perfusion. In this regard, we conducted a comprehensive visualization and scientometric analysis to systematically summarize and discuss the current state of research in this field. We systematically reviewed publications on the application of IRT in flap procedures from 1999 to 2022, using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Through scientometric analysis, we examined annual trends, affiliations, countries, journals, authors, and their relationships, providing insights into current hotspots and future developments in this area. We analysed 522 English studies and found a steady increase in annual publications. The United States and Germany had the highest publication rates, with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Shanghai Jiaotong University being leading institutions. Notably, Lee BT and Alex Keller emerged as influential authors in this field. Compared to existing techniques, infrared‐based technology offers significant advantages for non‐invasive monitoring of flap perfusion, including simplicity of operation and objective results. Future trends should focus on interdisciplinary collaborations to develop new infrared devices and achieve intelligent image processing, enabling broader application in various clinical scenarios. This bibliometric study summarizes the progress and landscape of research on 'the Application of infrared thermography technology in flap' over the past two decades, providing valuable insights and serving as a reliable reference to drive further advancements and spark researchers' interest in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermography provides non-invasive, radiation-free diagnostic imaging. Despite the extensive literature on medical thermography, a comprehensive overview of current applications is lacking. Hence, the aim of this scoping review is to identify the medical applications of passive infrared thermography and to catalogue the technical and environmental modalities. The diagnostic performance of thermography and the existence of specific reference data are evaluated, and research gaps and future tasks identified. The entire review process followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) approach and the results are reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The scoping review protocol is registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF). PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, Web of Science, OpenGrey, OSF, and PROSPERO were searched using pretested search strategies based on the Population, Concept, Context (PCC) approach. According to the eligibility criteria, references were screened by two researchers independently. Seventy-two research articles were identified describing screening, diagnostic, or monitoring studies investigating the potential of thermography in a total of 17,314 participants within 38 different health conditions across 13 therapeutic areas. The use of several camera models from various manufacturers is described. These and other facts and figures are compiled and presented in a detailed, descriptive tabular and visual format. Thermography offers promising diagnostic capabilities, alone or in addition to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on meetings scheduled in 2024, including the XXth Conference of the Polish Society of Medical Physics in Wisla, Poland, the Cardiovascular Horizons Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Lousiana, and the XVI Congress of the European Association of Thermology in Wroclaw, Poland.

Many common thermographic cameras have quite good sensitivity (0.05 °C or better) but limited accuracy, often about ±2 °C. This is not sufficient for quantitative measurements such as human body temperature diagnostics, where an accuracy of 0.3 °C is assumed. A thermographic device with a built-in active reference element for enhanced precision measurement was developed for these purposes. It was adapted for human body temperature diagnostics using face temperature measurements. It is based on a micro-bolometers detector and the reference element is heated to a temperature of 37 °C, which is mostly assumed as decisive for an increased temperature indication. As the reference element is embedded into the device housing, the use of the device can be very flexible. The performed human temperature measurement experiments showed that the accuracy of the introduced device is comparable with the thermographic measurements obtained using an external black body, which is often used for these applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate computed tomography-based thermography (CTT) for ablation zone prediction in microwave ablation (MWA). Methods: CTT was investigated during MWA in an in vivo porcine liver. For CTT, serial volume scans were acquired every 30 s during ablations and every 60 s immediately after MWA. After the procedure, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) was performed. After euthanasia, the liver was removed for sampling and further examination. Color-coded CTT maps were created for visualization of ablation zones, which were compared with both CECT and macroscopy. Average CT attenuation values in Hounsfield units (HU) were statistically correlated with temperatures using Spearman's correlation coefficient. CTT was retrospectively evaluated in one patient who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Results: A significant correlation between HU and temperature was found with r = − 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI), − 0.89 to − 0.57) and p < 0.001. Linear regression yielded a slope of − 1.96 HU/°C (95% CI, − 2.66 to − 1.26). Color-coded CTT maps provided superior visualization of ablation zones. Conclusion: Our results show that CTT allows visualization of the ablation area and measurement of its size and is feasible in patients, encouraging further exploration in a clinical setting. Critical relevance statement: CT-based thermography research software allows visualization of the ablation zone and is feasible in patients, encouraging further exploration in a clinical setting to assess risk reduction of local recurrence. Key points: • Intraprocedural ablation monitoring is important for risk reduction of local recurrence. • CT-based thermography is used for noninvasive ablation zone monitoring. • CTT visualized ablated area to evaluate the success of the ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat exchange processes in the brain in the presence of a malignant tumor were modeled mathematically by numerical solution of heat and mass transfer equations for biological tissues. The distribution of temperature in the brains with tumors was calculated. Data were obtained confirming that microwave radiothermometry has prospects in the diagnosis and monitoring of the treatment of brain diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation of both ocular and auricular thermographic temperatures with rectal temperatures and to determine the advantage of infrared thermography in clinical practice due to its ease of measurement. Animals. This study was designed as a pilot study and conducted on 6 mongrel male dogs during routine castration surgeries at the Kastamonu Municipality Temporary Animal Care Center. Methods. Rectal temperatures and ocular-auricular thermographic images were taken from 6 dogs anesthetized (xylazine HCl 1 mg/kg and ketamine HCl 15 mg/kg) during routine neutering surgeries. Data were analyzed by Bland–Altman for correlation between rectal-ocular and rectal-auricular temperatures. Results. Rectal temperatures were significantly higher than orbital and auricular temperatures. In the correlation test, no significant difference and correlation were found between the measurements. Conclusion. As a result of the study, it was determined that the use of thermography was more advantageous than the waiting times of the digital thermometer used to record rectal temperatures. In addition, the noninvasive nature of thermography increased its acceptability in all dogs. The findings from this pilot study were considered to be at a level that could provide a basis for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prosthesis fixation is considered the central point for functionality, which promotes social reintegration of the individual with amputation. The deficits in the making of the prosthetic socket may trigger excessive friction on the residual limb and socket discomfort, possibly leading to a poor adaptation and consequent reduction of activity. Thermography is an evaluation and diagnosticmethod thatmay aid in the verification of the functionality of the prosthesis. The objective of the study was to analyze the superficial thermal distribution characteristics, the skin sensitivity of the residual limb, and the adaptation to the prosthesis of individuals with lower-limb amputation with prostheses provided by the Universal Health System. Materials and Methods: Sixteen individuals of both genders with unilateral lower-limb amputation with ages between 18 and 64 years were recruited. The data collection protocol was composed of completing the physiotherapeutic evaluation form, assessment of residual limb skin sensitivity, application of the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ), treadmill walk for 10 minutes, thermographic evaluation immediately after the removal of the prosthesis, and lastly postacclimatization thermographic assessment. Results: Before the acclimatization, the region of the L3 dermatome of those who had altered sensitivity, the maximum (31.43°C), mean (28.97°C), and minimum (28.27°C) temperatures were significantly lower compared with those who had normal sensitivity (32.81°C, 29.68°C, and 28.91°C, respectively) ( P < 0.05). Regarding the period after the acclimatization, there was no significant difference in the comparison performed between temperature and sensitivity. The individuals with transtibial amputation obtained results above the overall median for the PEQ items, whereas the individuals with transfemoral amputation obtained results above the overall median for the "total score." There is a strong negative relationship between the mean temperature of the residual limb extremity with item "utility" in the preacclimatizationmoment and a strong negative relationship between themean andminimum temperatures at the residual limb extremity with the "residual limb health" item at the moment after the acclimatization. There is no association between the PEQ items and residual limb sensitivity. Conclusions: Onemay conclude that high temperatures at the postacclimatizationmoment indicate areas of friction that trigger a poor adaptation of the residual limb with the prosthetic socket, in which case the development of new strategies for improving the quality of the prostheses supplied is suggested. Clinical Relevance: Thermography helps in evaluating the residual limb and adapting the prosthesis, as it is a noninvasive clinical assessment tool. Thermography aids health professionals for management of the patient with amputation in the preprosthesis and postprosthesis phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging is widely used in gastrointestinal surgery and is considered useful for reducing anastomotic leakage; however, because ICG remains in the tissue for a certain amount of time, we occasionally must re-evaluate colonic blood flow over a short time period during surgery. Herein, we verify the usefulness of thermography (TG) for evaluating colonic blood flow in a patient who underwent a laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer. Case presentation: The patient is 43-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic resection of the sigmoid colon for colon cancer. After vascular treatment of the colonic mesentery, ICG/TG identified the boundary between ischemic and non-ischemic colon tissues. An additional 2 cm of colonic mesentery was resected because of the presence of a diverticulum noted at the intended site of oral anastomosis when attaching the anvil head. After additional vascular treatment of the colonic mesentery and administration of ICG, fluorescence was observed in the colon; however, TG identified the zone of the temperature transition on the surface of the colonic mesentery, even after additional colonic mesentery resection in the same region as previously observed. This zone was used as the cut-off line. There were no complications, such as anastomotic leakage, after the surgery. Conclusion: Although accumulation of similar cases is necessary, TG has the potential for use as an auxiliary diagnostic tool in clinical practice. TG can depict the presence or absence of blood flow based on surface temperature without the use of imaging agents, and is inexpensive and easy to perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cryotherapy, using ice chips (IC) is an effective strategy to prevent chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) in selected cancer patient cohorts. However, although effective, use of IC may cause adverse reactions, e.g., nausea, numbness, and shooting pain in the teeth, which could have an adverse impact on the medical treatment. Furthermore, IC requires water of good quality to minimize risk of serious systemic infections. To eliminate these disadvantages, novel cooling devices have emerged as alternative cooling modalities. Thus, the aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability profile of extraoral cooling for intraoral temperature reduction. Subjects and Methods: This experimental pilot study was conducted at the Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. In total, six healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. At baseline and following 30-, and 60 min of cooling with the extraoral cooling device, intraoral mucosal temperatures were measured using a thermographic camera, and a questionnaire related to tolerability was completed. Results: Following 30-, and 60 min of cooling, the intraoral temperature decreased with 2.0 °C and 2.3 °C, respectively. Extraoral cooling was well tolerated, and all subjects endured the entire cooling session of 60 min. Conclusion: Extraoral cooling reduces intraoral mucosal temperatures and is a well-tolerated cooling modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe the clinical outcomes for a group of complex regional pain syndrome patients using infrared thermography as an intraprocedural support tool when undertaking fluoroscopy‐guided lumbar sympathetic blocks. Subjects: 27 patients with lower limb complex regional pain syndrome accompanied by severe pain and persistent functional impairment. Methods: A series of three fluoroscopic‐guided lumbar sympathetic blocks with local anesthetic and corticoids using infrared thermography as an intraprocedural support tool were performed. Clinical variables were collected at baseline, prior to each block, and one, three, and six months after blocks in a standardized checklist assessing each of the clinical categories of complex regional pain syndrome stipulated in the Budapest criteria. Results: 23.75% of the blocks required more than one chance to achieve the desired thermal pattern and therefore to be considered as successful. A decrease in pain measured on a visual analogic scale was observed at all time points compared to pre‐blockade data, but only 37% of the cases were categorized as responders, representing a ≥ 30% decrease in VAS, with the disappearance of pain at rest. An improvement of most of the clinical variables recorded was observed, such as tingling, edema, perception of thermal asymmetry, difference in coloring and sweating. There was a significant decrease of neuropathic pain and improvement of functional limitation. Logistic regression analysis showed the main variable to explain the probability of being a responder was immobilization time (odds ratio of 0.89). Conclusion: A series of fluoroscopy‐guided lumbar sympathetic blocks controlled by infrared thermography in the treatment of lower limb CRPS showed a responder rate of 37%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, it has been shown that the extramuscular connective tissue (ECT) is likely involved in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of maximal trunk extension eccentric exercise (EE) on ECT thickness, self-reported DOMS, ECT stiffness, skin temperature, and possible correlations between these outcomes. Healthy adults (n = 16, 29.34 ± 9.87 years) performed fatiguing EE of the trunk. A group of highly active individuals (TR, n = 8, > 14 h of sport per week) was compared with a group of less active individuals (UTR, n = 8, < 2 h of sport per week). Ultrasound measurements of ECT thickness, stiffness with MyotonPro and IndentoPro, skin temperature with infrared thermography, and pain on palpation (100 mm visual analog scale, VAS) as a surrogate for DOMS were recorded before (t0), immediately (t1), 24 h (t24), and 48 h (t48) after EE. ECT thickness increased after EE from t0 to t24 (5.96 mm to 7.10 mm, p = 0.007) and from t0 to t48 (5.96 mm to 7.21 mm, p < 0.001). VAS also increased from t0 to t24 (15.6 mm to 23.8 mm, p < 0.001) and from t0 to t48 (15.6 mm to 22.8 mm, p < 0.001). Skin temperature increased from t1 to t24 (31.6° Celsius to 32.7° Celsius, p = 0.032) and t1 to t48 (31.6° Celsius to 32.9° Celsius, p = 0.003), while stiffness remained unchanged (p > 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed no linear relationship between the outcomes within the 48-hour measurement period. The results may confirm previous findings of possible ECT involvement in the genesis of DOMS in the extremities also for the paraspinal ECT of trunk extensors. Subsequent work should focus on possible interventions targeting the ECT to prevent or reduce DOMS after strenuous muscle EE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Pressure injury (PI) development is multifactorial. In patients with dark skin tones, identifying impending PIs by visual skin assessment can be especially challenging. The need for improved skin assessment techniques, especially for persons with dark skin tones, continues to increase. Similarly, greater awareness of the need for inclusivity with regard to representation of diverse skin colours/tones in education materials has been apparent in recent years. Objective To provide current perspectives from the literature surrounding skin assessment and PI development in patients with dark skin tones. Methods The following elements will be discussed through the lens of skin tone: 1) historical perspectives of PI staging from the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel, 2) epidemiology of PI, 3) anatomy and physiology of the skin, 3) skin tone assessment and measurement, 4) augmented visual assessment modalities, 5) PI prevention, 6) PI healing, 7) social determinants of health, and 8) gaps in clinician education. Conclusions This review highlights the gap in our clinical knowledge regarding PIs in patients with dark skin tones. Racial disparities with regard to PI development and healing are especially highlighted among patients with dark skin tones. Skin tone colour assessment must be standardised and quantifiable in clinical education, practice, and research. This work is urgently needed, and support from private and governmental agencies is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]