Abstract
Background: Diagnosis of actinic keratosis (AK) based only on clinical findings can be misleading, and histopathological diagnosis results in scars. Dynamic thermal imaging is a potential non-invasive tool for the diagnosis of AK. This imaging technique quantifies the infrared (IR) radiation emitted by a subject after exposure to external thermal stimuli, such as heat or cold. Methods: Twenty-six histopathologically confirmed AK patients participated in the study. We compared the dynamic thermal images of AK lesions and normal skin (control sites). Temperature changes were plotted as a thermal response graph. After fitting exponential curves to the thermal response graph, the curve was converted to a logarithmic form. Results: Comparison of the early thermal response graphs of lesions and control sites showed faster thermal recovery of AK lesions. There was a significant difference in the gradient component of the calculated logarithmic equation between the AK lesions and control sites (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Dynamic thermal imaging can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for AK.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 211-216 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Skin Research and Technology |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2019 Mar |
Keywords
- actinic keratosis
- dynamic thermal imaging
- solar keratosis
- thermal imaging
- thermography
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Dermatology