Evaluation of Thermography in the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : Comparative Study between Patient and Control Groups

Objective : There is still debate about the diagnostic efficacy of digital infrared thermographic imaging[DITI], nevertheless, it has been used for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome[CTS]. We performed comparative study between patient and control groups to investigate the diagnostic value of DITI in CTS. Methods : We studied 27 patients with electrodiagnostically-proven CTS and 18 symptom-free volunteers as a control. We measured thermal difference on DITI in the corresponding regions of the hands and forearms. We statistically analyzed the thermal data using a t-test. Results : The average thermal difference in the diagnosed patient group ranged from $0.0303^{\circ}C$ to $0.2856^{\circ}C$, while that in control group ranged from $0.0611^{\circ}C$ to $0.2878^{\circ}C$. In the CTS patient group, thermal difference between each 2nd finger was higher than that of other regions. However, there was no statistical significance between patient and control groups. Conclusion : We found that the diagnostic value of DITI in CTS was not sufficient. There should be a reconsideration of the usefulness of DITI in CTS.