Update on the Use of Infrared Thermography in the Early Detection of Diabetic Foot Complications: A Bibliographic Review

Abstract

Foot lesions are among the most frequent causes of morbidity and disability in the diabetic population. Thus, the exploration of preventive control measures is vital for detecting early signs and symptoms of this disease. Infrared thermography is one of the complementary diagnostic tools available that has proven to be effective in the control of diabetic foot. The last review on this topic was published in 2015 and so, we conducted a bibliographic review of the main databases (PubMed, the Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Scopus) during the third quarter of 2023. We aimed to identify the effectiveness of infrared thermography as a diagnostic element in pre-ulcerous states in diabetic patients and to detect diabetic foot ulcer complications. We obtained a total of 1999 articles, 26 of which were finally included in the present review and published after 2013. After analyzing the use of infrared thermography in diabetic patients both with and without ulcers, as well as in healthy individuals, we concluded that is an effective tool for detecting early-stage ulcers in diabetic foot patients.

Thermal Imaging of the Tongue Surface as a Predictive Method in the Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…IRT is capable of mapping the temperature distribution in areas of interest, providing a profile that can be obtained almost instantly, regardless of location and time [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

“…Abnormalities in the thermographic patterns of the hands and feet have been observed in patients with diabetes due to reduced blood circulation, which leads to a decrease in body temperature [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. To visualize the metabolic state more accurately, attempts have been made to cold-challenge the test area.…”

“…One of the complementary diagnostic tools available that has proven effective in the control of diabetes, and especially the diabetic foot, is infrared thermography (IRT) [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

“…These projections allow for the identification of heat radiating away from the body and produce images with specific physiological thermal patterns that can be collected according to specific standards. Based on the results obtained, appropriate information about the patient’s health condition can be provided, which can accelerate and help patients make treatment decisions [ 6 , 7 ].…”

Thermography Research in Diabetic Foot: Insights From a Scopus-Based Bibliometric Study

“…Henceforth, it is crucial to identify patients with foot at risk and recognize patients with early signs of diabetic foot infection, so that early intervention can be performed to prevent lower limb amputations [4][5][6][7]. Previous studies have shown that temperature fluctuations in the lower limb can be associated with diabetic foot problems [10,11]. Building on this knowledge, thermography technology such as infrared thermography (IRT) has been proposed as part of the investigative tool in the management of diabetic foot problems [10][11][12].…”