Quantitative infrared thermography for infantile hemangioma assessment

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Date
2014-05-09
Journal Title
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Publisher
Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
Infrared thermography (IRT) is a promising non-invasive diagnostic tool for characterization of various lesions. It can be used for detection of lesions that can cause abnormality in human metabolic heat generation and blood perfusion, which result in temperature elevation in affected regions. In this research, IRT was used to observe thermal signatures of the infantile hemangioma lesions. Human skin temperature distributions were accurately measured for the lesion and surrounding healthy skin regions. The temperature distributions provide thermal signatures of both surface and subcutaneous lesions that were otherwise invisible with the naked eye. The surface lesion image and the temperature distribution image were combined for simultaneous visualization. Areas associated with elevated temperature contours were calculated for evaluation and comparison of hemangioma evolution between patients’ imaging sessions. In both of the patient cases analyzed in follow-up visits, all correspondent areas regressed compared to those recorded during the previous visit.
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Keywords
Infrared thermography, Hemangioma, Thermal signature, Superimpose, Area calculation
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