title: Comparison of thermography and Doppler sonography in the evaluation of the cold immersion test in women with excessive vasospastic reaction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Determining the predisposition to vasospastic reactions in a function test is important at the earliest possible stage of diagnosis. Thermography is an acknowledged procedure for monitoring function tests; however, its availability is limited. The aim of this study was to compare the progression of the cold immersion test in a thermal picture and an US-CD examination with the flow assessment of the small blood vessels of the hand.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 16 women declaring high cold tolerance of their hands was compared with a group of 24 women reporting hand complaints when exposed to the cold. The subjects underwent a test in which they immersed their right hand in ice-cold water (0 degrees C). Then images of the temperature distribution in the hand were recorded with a thermovisory camera. At the same time, spectral waveforms were registered in the proper palmar digital artery and in the radial artery at specified time intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis comprised temperature measurements at the level of the nail plate of the middle finger and at the wrist. There were differences between the groups at all the stages of the immersion test (efficient return of temperature to initial values in the reference group, delayed return in subjects with low tolerance to thermal stimuli). Flow resistance analysis using the Doppler method in the studied arteries revealed similar differences between the groups (swift flow normalization and efficient reperfusion in the reference group, higher flow resistance and low reperfusion in subjects with low tolerance to thermal stimuli).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in the parameters of hand warmth during the immersion test assessed by thermography and changes in the flow parameters observed by Doppler sonography demonstrated similar progression, which suggests the equivalence of both methods. Doppler sonography may thus serve as a method of monitoring function tests to establish a predisposition to vasospasm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland. stefanczyk_l@wp.pl <stefanczyk_l@wp.pl>
authors.forename: Ludomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stefańczyk
authors.forename: Bartłomiej
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Woźniakowski
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pietrzak
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majos
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grzelak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion; D008875:Middle Aged; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D013817:Thermography; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology*