Study done by:

Department of Work Environment,

University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Avenue, MA 01854, Lowell, USA,

Gold JE, Cherniack M, Buchholz B

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 Oct;93(1-2):245-51.

PURPOSE:

Infrared thermography for examination of skin temperature in the dorsal hand of office workers.

CONCLUSION:

Reduced blood flow may contribute to the pathophysiology of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD), such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. The study objective was to characterize potential differences in cutaneous temperature, among three groups of office workers assessed by dynamic thermography following a 9-min typing challenge: those with UEMSD, with ( n=6) or without ( n=10) cold hands exacerbated by keyboard use, and control subjects ( n=12). Temperature images of the metacarpal region of the dorsal hand were obtained 1 min before typing, and during three 2-min sample periods [0-2 min (early), 3-5 min (middle), and 8-10 min (late)] after typing. Mean temperature increased from baseline levels immediately after typing by a similar magnitude, 0.7 (0.3) degrees C in controls and 0.6 (0.2) degrees C in UEMSD cases without cold hands, but only by 0.1 (0.3) degrees C in those with cold hands. Using paired t-tests for within group comparisons of mean dorsal temperature between successive imaging periods, three patterns of temperature change were apparent during 10 min following typing. Controls further increased mean temperature by 0.1 degrees C ( t-test, P=0.001) at 3-5 min post-typing before a late temperature decline of -0.3 degrees C ( t-test, P=0.04), while cases without cold hands showed no change from initial post-typing mean temperature rise during middle or late periods. In contrast, subjects with keyboard-induced cold hands had no change from initial post-typing temperature until a decrease at the late period of -0.3 degrees C ( t-test, P=0.06). Infrared thermography appears to distinguish between the three groups of subjects, with keyboard-induced cold hand symptoms presumably due, at least partially, to reduced blood flow.

Study done by:

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,

Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel,
Gat Y, Bachar GN, Zukerman Z, Belenky A, Gorenish M. Andrology

J Urol. 2004 Oct; 172(4 Pt 1):1239-40

PURPOSE:

We evaluated the sensitivity of 3 noninvasive methods for detecting left and right varicoceles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three noninvasive methods for the detection of varicocele in the left and right internal spermatic veins were evaluated in 214 infertile men, namely, physical examination, scrotal contact thermography and ultrasound Doppler. Venography was used as the reference diagnosis. RESULTS: Varicocele was detected in 195 patients (91.1%), on the left side in 37 (19%), on the right side in 3 (1.5%) and bilaterally in 155 (79.5%). Scrotal contact thermography using varicoscreen proved to be the most accurate method. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value were 98.9%, 66.6%, 98.5% and 100%, respectively, for left varicocele, and 95.6%, 91.6%, 94.9% and 98%, respectively, for right varicocele. Doppler sonography was associated with the highest number of false-positive results. Accuracy in evaluating retrograde flow was lowest for both sides for physical examination and highest for the combination of Doppler sonography and contact thermography, with a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value of 100%, 33.3%, 99.0% and 98.9%, respectively, for the left side, and 97.4%, 58.3%, 90.3% and 91.1%, respectively, for the right side. In 165 (85%) of the 195 patients who underwent internal spermatic vein embolization sperm parameters were improved.

CONCLUSION:

The present study yielded 2 major findings. Thermography is more sensitive and accurate for the detection of varicocele than Doppler ultrasound and physical examination, and it can be used for screening as a single modality in infertile men. Doppler ultrasound and thermography are complementary and their combined use yields the highest sensitivity and accuracy.