Infantile hemangioma status by dynamic infrared thermography: A preliminary study

Abstract

Background Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are initially warm due to increased proliferation perfusion then involute with apoptosis and reduced perfusion. Objective quantitative evaluation of IH treatment response is essential for improving outcomes. We applied a functional imaging method, dynamic infrared (IR) thermography, to investigate IH status versus control skin and over time. Materials and Methods A preliminary prospective observational study was conducted among twenty-five subjects with superficial or mixed IHs (< 19 months) over 59 clinic visits. Infrared images of IHs and control sites, standardized color images and three-dimensional images were obtained. Tissue responses following application and removal of a cold stress were recorded with video IR thermography. Outcomes included areas under the curve during cooling (AUCcool) and rewarming (AUCrw) and thermal intensity distribution maps. Results AUCcool and AUCrw were significantly higher and cooling rate slower for IHs versus uninvolved tissue indicating greater heat, presumably due to greater perfusion and metabolism for the IH. IR distribution maps showed specific areas of high and low temperature. Significant changes in IH thermal activity were reflected in the difference (AUCcool – AUCrw), with 6.2 at 2.2 months increasing to 37.6 at 12.8 months. IH cooling rate increased with age, indicating slower recovery, and interpreted as reduced proliferation and/or involution. Conclusions Dynamic IR thermography was a well-tolerated, quantitative functional imaging modality appropriate for the clinic, particularly when structural changes, i.e., height, volume, color, were not readily observed. It may assist in monitoring progress, individualizing treatment and evaluating therapies.

Infant skin maturation: Preliminary outcomes for color and biomechanical properties

“…The study was conducted among two subsets of patients from the Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation Center enrolled in a trial to quantify the progression of infantile hemangiomas over time and relative to clinical stage . The Institutional Review Board approved the protocol and parents/guardians provided written informed consent.…”

“…The literature on postnatal dermal changes is sparse, as most of the structural, histological, and compositional research has been on fetal vs. adult skin and not on newborns. We aimed to further characterize infant skin maturational changes in color and biomechanics via a descriptive, retrospective study on normal skin from data collected in a trial to assess the progression infantile hemangiomas . The parent trial: (1) quantified hemangioma features of color, size, and volume and responses to thermal and mechanical stress, (2) evaluated changes in hemangiomas over time (age) and with treatment, (3) compared quantitative measures to clinical state, and (4) established a quantitative database for hemangiomas.…”

Reproducibility of Skin Temperature Response after Cold Stress Test Using the Game Ready System: Preliminary Study

“…If a person has a state of more significant peripheral vasoconstriction, it will facilitate this reduction in temperature [6,10,37]. On the other hand, β 1 is related to the rewarming speed and, therefore, peripheral vasodilation capacity [6,38]. For this reason, it is logical that β 0 has a higher reproducibility and lower uncertainty as it depends to a greater extent on the cooling system, while β 1 depends mainly on the physiological variability of the participant.…”

Zastosowanie termografii w medycynie – przegląd literatury

“…Zgodnie z piśmiennictwem termografia może być przydatna do rozróżniania zmian łagodnych od czerniaków w zmianach skórnych powyżej 15 mm [11]. Udokumentowano również, iż guzy naczyniowe skóry charakteryzują się większą perfuzją i metabolizmem niż skóra zdrowa, czego efektem jest wzrost termoemisji obserwowany w badaniu kamerą termowizyjną [12]. W literaturze można znaleźć interesujące doniesienia wskazujące, iż za pomocą termografii można monitorować i oceniać skuteczność leczenia beta-blokerami dziecięcych naczyniaków skórnych oraz prognozować ich wzrost [13].…”