Preliminary Findings on the Use of Infrared Thermal Imaging for the Detection of Reactive Hyperemia in the Upper Limb on Vasculopathic Patients

Abstract

This study examines the ability of infrared thermography (IRT) to distinguish vasculopathy patients (VP) from healthy controls (HC) during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH). Three VP and three HC participated in the study. The experimental procedure included a 3-min baseline, a 5-min occlusion at 50 mmHg above the systolic pressure, and a 3-min reperfusion. During PORH, HC had a larger temperature fluctuation of the fingertips from the baseline (1.22 ± 0.97 °C) compared to VP (0.53 ± 0.57 °C). Accordingly, color Doppler ultrasound assessed differences in the arterial resistivity index between the two groups. These findings, albeit preliminary, could facilitate IRT employment during POHR.

Keywords

• infrared thermography (IRT)
• color Doppler ultrasound
• vasculopathy
• post-occlusive reactive hyperemia