Infrared Thermography Follow-Up After Lower Limb Revascularization

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was with a simple clinical setting to compare skin temperature changes in the feet before and after revascularization and to identify possible correlation between ankle brachial index (ABI) and toe pressure (TP) values and foot skin temperature patient with and without diabetes. Methods: Forty outpatient clinic patients were measured ABI, TP, and the skin temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) at the foot before and after revascularization. Patients in the revascularization group were divided into subgroups depending on whether they had diabetes or not and a wound or not. Results: There were clear correlation between increase of ABI and TP and increase of the mean skin temperature on the feet after revascularization. The temperature was higher and the temperature change was greater among patients with diabetes. Side-to-side temperature difference between the revascularized feet and contralateral feet decreased after treatment. The mean temperature was higher in the feet with wound whether patient had diabetes mellitus or not. Conclusion: The simple, prompt, and noninvasive IRT procedure showed its potential as a follow-up tool among patients with diabetes or peripheral arterial disease and previous lower limb revascularization.

The Value of Infrared Thermography to Assess Foot and Limb Perfusion in Relation to Medical, Surgical, Exercise or Pharmacological Interventions in Peripheral Artery Disease: A Systematic Review

“…The included studies reported different measurement sites, focusing in particular on the feet. One study did not precisely describe the measurement location [ 45 ], 2 articles studied the ankle and the anterior tibial face [ 39 , 44 ], six the toes [ 2 , 32 , 33 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 48 ], seven the dorsum of the foot [ 31 , 32 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 46 , 49 ] and eleven authors identified the plantar side of the foot, making it the most studied area [ 22 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 50 ]. A summary of the measurement locations is reported in Figure 2 .…”

“…Five studies have monitored the effect of revascularization procedures using IRT [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 39 , 49 ]. Zenunaj et al [ 39 ] evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention by measuring the temperature in both feet before and 24 h after the surgery, observing an improvement of +2.1 °C and +0.5 °C in the limb that underwent the revascularization.…”

Infrared Thermography in Wound Care, Surgery, and Sports Medicine: A Review

“…Thus, the investigators of this study concluded that sole measurements after completing the walk had a sensitivity of 81.7% and specificity of 65% to diagnose PAD. Finally, successful revascularization of limbs with critical ischemia has demonstrated a classic thermographic pattern characterized by a significant increase in the temperature of the revascularized limb, compared to the contralateral side within the first 24 h after surgery ( Staffa et al, 2017 ; Ilo et al, 2021 ; Figure 10 ). Thus, the plantar temperature has been used to predict amputations after endovascular therapy in this patient population with a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 54% ( Chang et al, 2020 ).…”

Evaluation of infrared thermography with a portable camera as a diagnostic tool for peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs compared with color Doppler ultrasonography

“…There is growing interest in IRT within the medical field, as this technique has good potential for use in various applications, including diagnostic, prognostic, biometric, patient monitoring, and surgical purposes [11]. For example, studies have demonstrated the usefulness of IRT in situations of acute lower limb ischemia [15][16][17], diabetic foot complications [18,19], and in monitoring patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [20,21]. Recently, an IRT camera connected to a smartphone (transforming it into a thermographic camera) was used to effectively diagnose acute lower limb ischemia [15][16][17].…”