title: Evaluation of provocation test monitoring palmoplantar temperature with the use of thermography for diagnosis of focal tonsillar infection in palmoplantar pustulosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since focal tonsillar infections are often associated with palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), provocation tests have been performed for preoperative evaluation of tonsillectomy. However, these tests have not been fully established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To introduce a more sensitive operative indication for tonsillectomy to the patients with PPP, we have monitored the temperature after provocation tests at palmoplantar sites, as measured by thermography, and we hypothesized that this methodology may lead to a more sensitive marker for tonsillectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two PPP patients with/without clinical tonsillitis were included in this study. After mechanical tonsillar massage, using infrared thermography, we have monitored the surface temperature at palmoplantar sites of 22 patients with PPP, five chronic tonsillitis patients without PPP, and four healthy controls, to compare the findings with the skin lesional outcome after tonsillectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant relationship between the effects of tonsillectomy and the results of provocation tests assessed by thermography. The sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of the provocation tests with thermography of detecting a favorable outcome of tonsillectomy were 75.0, 83.3, and 77.3%, respectively, while those of the provocation tests as estimated with the conventional criteria were 37.5, 83.3, and 50.0%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that a new indicator using non-invasive thermography for the provocation tests is useful in predicting the effects of tonsillectomy for PPP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho Kashihara, 634-8522, Nara, Japan. asadah@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azukizawa
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanemura
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sumikawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itami
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil; D011379:Prognosis; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013817:Thermography; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery