• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2002

Neurosensory dysfunction of the injured inferior alveolarnerve(IAN) is a common and distrssing consequence of traumatic or iatrogenic injury. Conventional neurosensory testing has been used to detect and monitor sensory impairments of the injured IAN. However, these tests had low reliability and are not qualitative at best because they are based on solely on the patient's subjective assesment of symptoms. Consequently, there is need for more reliable, sensitive, and objective test measures to document and to monitor sensory dysfunction of the trigeminal nerve. This study was to investigate DITI's (digital infrared thermographic imaging) potential as a diagnostic alternative for evaluating of the nerve injures and sensory disturbance. Subjects were 30 patients who had been referred to Ewha Medical Center due to sensory disturbance of the lower lip and chin followed after unobserved inferior alveolar nerve injuries. The patients were examined by clinical neurosensory tests as SLTD (static light touch discrimination), MDD (moving direction discrimination), PPN (pin prick nociception) and DITI (digital infrared thermographic imaging). The correlation between clinical sensory dysfunction scores(Sum of SLTD, MDD, PPN, NP, Tinel sign) and DITI were tested by Spearman nonparametric rank correlation anaylsis & Kruskal-Wallis test, Wilcoxon 2-sample test. This study resulted in as follows; (1) The difference of thermal difference between normal side and affected side was as ${\Delta}-3.2{\pm}0.13$. (2) The DITI differences of the subjects presenting dysesthesia of the lip and chin were correlated significantly with the neurosensory dysfunction scores(r=0.419, p=0.021)and SLTD (r=0.429, p<0.05). (3) The MDD, PPN, NP, Tinel sign, duration, gender were not correlated with DITI(p> 0.05). Therefore, the DITI(digital infrared thermographic imaging) can be an option of the useful objective diagnostic methods to evaluate the injured inferior alveolar nerve and sensory dysfunction of trigerminal nerve.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.144-146
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• 2005

Herein, a case of missed upper lumbar disc herniation, diagnosed by thorough neurological examination, digital infrared thermographic imaging[DITI], and repeated magnetic resonance[MR] image study, is reported. A 36-year-old female presented with intractable leg pain on left anterior thigh. Although she underwent lumbar MR image at other hospital, she was misdiagnosed as acute sprain. Neurological examination suggested the possibility of upper lumbar disc herniation, which was confirmed by DITI, MRI, and selective root block. After operation, her leg pain was significantly improved. It should be considered that upper lumbar disc herniation might be misdiagnosed as an acute sprain, as in our case. A high index of suspicion based on thorough neurological examination is most important in such cases. Then, multi-access such as DITI, MR image, and selective block, base on thorough neurological examination, are warranted.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.88-103
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of oriental diagnosis and treatment for dysmenorrhea patients on lower abdominal temperature and Skin Resistance Variability(SRV). Methods: We studied twenty-five dysmenorrhea patients, who visited Oriental Medicine Hospital of ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ University for 10 months(Sep. 2011~Jun. 2012). Patients with organic disease such as endometriosis, uterine myoma and pelvic inflammatory disease were excluded from this study. We prescribed 3 types of treatments, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion, for one menstrual cycle. Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging(DITI), 7-Zone-Diagnostic System(CP-6000A), VAS(Visual analog scale) and MVRS(Multidimensional verbal rating scale) were conducted before and after the treatment. The result of DITI, 7-Zone-Diagnostic System, VAS and MVRS before and after treatment were compared in order to objectively assess the therapeutic effect. Results: When we compared the results of DITI, CV4 temperature after treatment was increased compared with that of before, and temperature difference between CV12 and CV4 after treatment was decreased compared with that of before. But there was no significant difference. When we compared the results of 7-Zone-Diagnostic System at 1st and 2nd trial, the height of 1~5 area was lower than that of before. And at 1st and 2nd trial, the height of 6, 7 area was higher than that of before, but there were no significant difference in most. When we compared the results of VAS and MVRS, VAS and MVRS after treatment was significantly decreased compared with that of before(p<0.01). Conclusions: This study shows that oriental diagnosis and treatment for dysmenorrhea patients affects the results of DITI. Further study will be needed.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.488-496
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• 2004

Oral & Maxillofacial surgery can lead to complications that result in abnormal sensation or movement. Inferior alveolar nerve(IAN) injury can result in dysesthesia, paresthsia of the lower lip and chin, so patients presenting with IAN damage suffer from sensory loss. But diagnosis of the nerve injury is largely limited to the subjective statements made by the patient. Distribution of sympathetic nerves parallels the distribution of the somatosensory nerves. Loss of sensory tone causes a concomitant loss of sympathetic activity, resulting in vasodilation of the cutaneous blood vessels that demonstrates greater heat loss. Digital infrared thermographic imaging(DITI) detects infra-red radiation given off by body. DITI can detect minute difference in temperature from different parts of the body and translates the amount of heat into quantitative data. The area of different temperature correlated with pain or disease can be visualized by corresponding color. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of DITI in objectively assessing IAN injury. The 19 normal subjects and the 14 patients underwent DITI scan. The normal subjects received unilateral IAN block anesthesia with 2 ml of 2% lidocaine (IAN bolck group) to evaluate temporary alteration in nerve function. Patient group were patients with unilateral IAN damage (dysesthesia or paresthesia) after surgical treatment(Mn. 3rd molar Extraction, etc.). The surgical procedure performed within 6 months of test. The results were as follows. 1. No significant differences in temperature were found between left and right sides of the lower lip and chin in the control group. 2. Significant temperature differences were found between the anesthetized and non-anesthetized sides of the lower lip and chin in the IAN block group. 3. Significant temperature differences were found between the involved and uninvolved sides of the lower lip and chin areas of the experimental group. The results of the study show that DITI can be an useful and effective means of objectively assessing and visualizing IAN damage.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.50-54
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• 2014

Objectives: Digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) has been used widely for various inflammatory diseases, circulatory diseases, skin diseases, musculoskeletal diseases and cancers. In cases of ligament injury, obviously the temperature of the damaged area increases due to local inflammation; however, whether the temperature also increases due to DITI has not been determined. The purpose of the present study was to identify whether or not the changes of temperature in patient's with medial collateral ligament injury were really due to infrared thermography and to determine the applicability of DITI for assessing ligament injuries. Methods: Twenty patient's who underwent DITI for a medial collateral ligament injury from September 2012 to June 2014 were included in the current study. The thermographic images from the patient's knees were divided to cover seven sub-areas: the middle of the patella, and the inferomedial, the inferolateral, the superomedial, the superolateral, the medial, and the lateral regions of patella. The temperatures of the seven regions were measured, and the temperature differences between affected and unaffected regions were analyzed by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: The 20 patient's were composed of 14 women (70%) and 6 men (30%), with a mean age of $62.15{\pm}15.71$ (mean${\pm}$standard deviation (SD)) years. The temperature of the affected side, which included the middle of the patella, and the inferomedial, the superomedial, the superolateral, and the medial regions, showed a significant increase compared to that of the unaffected side (P < 0.05). The inferolateral and the lateral regions showed no significant changes. Conclusion: Our study results suggest that DITI can show temperature changes if a patient has a ligament injury and that it can be applied in the evaluation of a medial collateral ligament injury.

• Journal of Oriental Medical Thermology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to report the comparison of X-ray and Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging (DITI) of a patient with idiopathic scoliosis. Method: The patient in this case was a 25-year-old female. Her chief complaint was a pain in lumbar, scapular and shoulder regions. We examined her with DITI and X-ray. And then We compared DITI and X-ray. Results: Cobb's angle of thoracic spine was $24.78^{\circ}$ as a primary curve. Cobb's angle of thoracolumbar spine was $17.63^{\circ}$. Temperature on convex side of the thoracic spine was $0.3^{\circ}C$ higher than the other side. Temperature on convex side of cervical spine was $1.4^{\circ}C$ higher than the other side. There was no correlation curvature degree with temperature difference. Conclusion : There was a tendency that the temperature on convex side of the spine is higher than the other side of the spine. DITI is a useful assessment tool when it is used with X-ray as a diagnostic tool of idiopathic scoliosis. Further studies are needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.701-703
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• 2002

The result of compensatory sweating after surgical treatment for essential hyperhidrosis had problems in objectivity and validity because it mainly depended on the subjective symptoms of patients. Therefore, we tried to evaluate more precisely and objectively, the distribution and degree of compensatory sweating by D.I.T.I.(Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging) with subjective symptoms.

• Journal of Oriental Medical Thermology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2002

Objectives : It is the object of Qigong therapy to promote the circulation of Qi and blood, and to relieve mentality by way of warming lower Danjon. In this study, to prove that Qigong therapy could actually subside heat on upper or middle Danjon and warm the temperature on lower Danjon, we observed the thermal changes of upper, middle, lower Danjon before and after Qigong therapy and compared them. Methods : We selected 16 patients, treated Qigong therapy and examined by D.I.T.I.(Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging) before and after Qigong therapy, among patients who visited. Qigong clinic, Kangnam Korean hospital, Kyunghee University(Daechi-2dong, Kangnam-Gu) from april to october, 1999. We watched the difference of temperature among upper, middle, lower Danjon before and after Qigong therapy, and used student T-test(paired type, 2 tail) for proving effects of Qigong therapy statistically. Conclusions 1. The difference of temperature$({\Delta}T)$ between upper(Ex-HN3) and lower Danjon(CV4) significantly decreased about $0.55^{\circ}C$ after Qigong therapy(p<0.01). 2. The difference of temperature${\Delta}T$ between middle(CV17) and lower Danjon(CV4) significantly decreased about $0.39^{\circ}C$ after Qigong therapy(p<0.05). 3. The difference of temperature${\Delta}T$ between upper(Ex-HN3) and middle Danjon(CV17) decreased about $0.25^{\circ}C$ after Qigong therapy, but it was not statistically significant.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.95-102
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to define the cut off values of cold hypersensitivity of hands by using digital infrared thermographic imaging(DITI). Methods: Thermographic images of 130 patients with cold hypersensitivity of hands(CHHG, n=65) and non-cold hypersensitivity of hands(NCHHG, n=65) were retrospectively reviewed. We used the temperature difference the palm(PC8) and the upper arm(LU4) for diagnosing cold hypersensitivity of hands. The temperature differences of between two groups were analysed using independent samples t-tests. The cut off values were calculated by ROC curve analysis. Analyses were undertaken using SPSS version 17.0. P value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The temperature difference the palm(PC8) and the upper arm(LU4) were significantly different between groups(p < 0.001). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were 70.8%, 73.8%, respectively both hands. The AUC was 0.822 on right hand and 0.818 on left hand. The optimum cut-off value was defined as $-0.05^{\circ}C$. Conclusions: These results suggest that DITI is a reliable instrument for estimating the cold hypersensitivity of hands.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.62-75
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• 2017

Objectives : The aim of this study is to evaluate possibility of DITI as prognosis evaluation tool of facial palsy. Methods : We investigate prognosis of facial palsy through EMR(Electronic Medical Record) of inpatient from December 2016 to June 2017. We evaluated the sex, age distribution, length of hospital stay, paralysis site, number of treatment after discharge, change of H-B Grade at entrance and exit, temperature difference of both sides of DITI, and Nerve Conduction Study(NCS) with reference to EMR recorded symptom change. Results : 1. Significant correlations were not found between DITI and House-Brackmann Grade change, NCS(%), the date of admission. 2. There was a negative correlation between NCS(%) and hospitalization period in patients with facial palsy. The higher the NCS, the faster the recovery rate of facial palsy. 3. In patients with facial palsy, the temperature difference between the two sides after the DITI image shows that the affected side tends to be lower than the normal side. Conclusions : In this study, only DITI temperature difference between both sides of face is not significant in determining the prognosis of facial palsy. Further research is needed to conduct DITI at the same time and to improve accuracy through a sufficient assessment of the degree of facial palsy.