title: Specific thermographic changes during Walker 256 carcinoma development: differential infrared imaging of tumour, inflammation and haematoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infrared imaging measures spatial variations in the skin temperature aiming to determine pathological processes; hence possible use of this non-invasive analytical method in cancer detection is emerging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infrared thermal imaging was used to detect changes in rat skin surface temperature associated with experimental cancer development (Walker 256 carcinoma), inflammation (upon s.c. Sephadex injection) and haematoma (provoked by s.c. blood coagulate injection). Infrared camera with a geometric resolution of 76,800 pixels, spectral range of 8-14 microm and the minimal detectable temperature resolution of 0.07 degrees C with spatial resolution of 0.48 mm at measuring distance of 30 cm was used to obtain computerised thermal scans. Genuine ThermoWEB software developed for remote internet control as open source software was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The raise of peripheral temperature was observed after induction of local inflammation or haematoma. Opposite to that, transient decrease of the skin surface temperature was observed after tumour transplantation. Progressive growth of tumour was associated with the raise of the skin surface temperature from the 10th day after tumour inoculation, when the tumours developed supportive neoangiogenic blood supply, as verified by histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the raise of peripheral temperature in advanced tumour was caused by neoangiogenesis, the reduction in skin surface temperature in an early period after tumour cell inoculation indicated a decay of transplanted tumour cells due to the immune response and the lack of blood supply. Thus, infrared thermal imaging may have considerable value in evaluation of the tumour development and discrimination of cancer from inflammation and haematoma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak-Blazi
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kolaric
authors.forename: Morana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaganjac
authors.forename: Kamelija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarkovic
authors.forename: Karolj
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skala
authors.forename: Neven
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zarkovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002279:Carcinoma 256, Walker / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D006406:Hematoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013817:Thermography