title: [The importance of thermography in the diagnosis of lumbar radicular pain syndromes].
abstract: This study proved the existence of lateral differences in thermographic recordings of the legs of 83 out of a total of 84 patients with the clinical diagnosis "lumbar disk herniation". In 68.5 per cent only of 71 patients with unilateral symptoms, however, the hypothermic areas occurred in the symptomatic leg. These areas could not be matched with corresponding dermatomas. As regards determination of the level of the herniation, thermography is an unreliable method for differentiation between the different segments, because the site of the dermatoma cannot be identified in relation to the site of the herniation. The mechanism of difference in temperature distribution probably depends on sympathetic reflexes with increased activity in the vasoconstrictor system due to pain. These reflexes are not limited to one dermatoma. This has been confirmed by means of diagnostic nerve blocks of the appropriate root.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots; D013817:Thermography
vernacular_title: Die Bedeutung der Thermographie bei der Diagnostik lumbaler radikulärer Schmerzsyndrome.