Thermography in nerve root diseases

článek v časopise - ostatní, Jost

angličtina

We performed an initial study, which should prove the usefulness of thermography in nerve root diseases. Unlike Xray-CT and MRI, thermography does not show anatomical changes of vertebrae or discs, but it may show the result—the involved nerve root can be seen as a colder area at the corresponding dermatome. The precise mechanism of this effect is still unknown, but our experience with 22 patients (and 17 students as a control group) shows that this effect is present. At the beginning of our research we have concentrated on the problems related to herniated disks at the lower part of the back (mostly L4/L5 and L5/S1). Since corresponding dermatomes are situated on the patient’s legs, we have used our ThermaCAM PM575 digital infrared camera to measure temperature changes in this area. The selection of legs is intentional, because corresponding dermatomes are larger than in other parts of the human body. Nineteen of the patients underwent surgical treatment of their disease and we made another measurement one week after the operation. Fourteen of them also underwent a control examination five weeks later. Our first results show that the area of decreased temperature is topologically correlated with dermatomes and therefore could replace EMG in diagnosis. This can be useful especially with patients who have AIDS, hepatitis or other infectious diseases. We have made also a single long-term study. This 59-year-old male had nerve root disease, which could be seen by neither Xray-CT nor MRI, but was diagnosed by EMG. This patient was treated clinically. We have already made 58 measurements of this patient and the results show that the temperature difference of over 1°C has dropped to 0.4°C during the ten-month-long study. The temperature difference can be evaluated from any area in the given dermatome—it is independent on size of the area and position inside the dermatome, but the bigger the area is, the more precise (statistically) result we obtain. The overall changes of thermal pattern are in correlation with the patient’s subjective feelings.

nerve root diseases, thermography

DUB, P., DRASTICH, A., NOVÁK, Z., ŘÍHA, I.

2002

18. 5. 2002

1560-604X

Thermology international

12

2

Rakouská republika

76

76

1