Thermography as a Method for Bedside Monitoring of Infantile Hemangiomas

Abstract

Infantile hemangiomas occur in 3 to 10% of infants. To predict the clinical course and counsel on treatment, it is crucial to accurately determine the hemangiomas’ extension, volume, and location. However, this can represent a challenge because hemangiomas may present irregular patterns or be covered by hair, or their depth may be difficult to estimate. Diagnosis is commonly made by clinical inspection and palpation, with physicians basing their diagnoses on visual characteristics such as area, texture, and color. Doppler ultrasonography or magnetic resonance imaging are normally used to estimate depth or to confirm difficult assessments. This paper presents an alternative diagnosis tool—thermography—as a useful, immediate means of carrying out accurate hemangioma examinations. We conducted a study analyzing infantile hemangiomas with a custom thermographic system. In the first phase of the study, 55 hemangiomas of previously diagnosed patients were analyzed with a thermal camera over several sessions. An average temperature variation before and after treatment of −0.19 °C was measured. In the second phase, we selected nine patients and assessed their evolution over nine months by analyzing their thermographic images and implementing dedicated image processing algorithms. In all cases, we found that the thermal image analysis concurred with the independent diagnoses of two dermatologists. We concluded that a higher temperature inside the tumor in the follow-up was indicative of an undesirable evolution.

Termografía infrarroja en la detección de la función endotelial normal

“…15 Los cambios térmicos evaluados con termografía infrarroja incluyen cáncer de mama, melanoma cutáneo, quemaduras, hemangiomas y obstrucción vascular. [16][17][18][19][20] El estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la sensibilidad y especificidad de la termografía para evaluar la función endotelial normal, ya que actualmente no existe información al respecto.…”

Infrared thermography for normal endothelial function screening

“…15 Thermal changes evaluated with infrared thermography include breast cancer, skin melanoma, burns, hemangiomas, and vascular obstruction. [16][17][18][19][20] The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of thermography for evaluating normal endothelial function, given that, currently, there is no information on the subject.…”