Patients with clinical/radiological hyperplasia of mammary glands show pathological persistence of temperature of skin points.
BACKGROUND
Hyperplasia of mammary glands (HMG) is a frequent disease, with increased cancer risk for women aged 20-55 years. The aim of this study was to explore a non-invasive method to identify which patients with breast complaints need additional mammography for HMG diagnosis.


METHODS
Skin digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) in 74 patients with HMG and 63 controls was carried out.


RESULTS
In the controls, the temperature of points close to the breasts and ovaries decreased with age. In women older than 39 years, HMG patients showed persistently high temperatures but in the lower extremities there were no differences. With a threshold for thoracic skin point KI21 of 33.2 degrees C, sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing controls from HMGs were 96% and 52% (p=0.0001) respectively, as validated in a test set, similar to recent DITI results for breast cancer detection.


CONCLUSIONS
Infrared temperature imaging of specific skin points is a rapid, non-invasive method to identify patients requiring mammography to confirm HMG.
Li
Heng
H
Acupuncture and Tuina College, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China.
Shen
Xueyong
X
Ying
Jian
J
Zhao
Ling
L
Jin
Mingzi
M
Thu
Shengfang
S
Sun
Chenping
C
Voorhorst
Feja
F
Soiland
Håvard
H
Lende
Tone
T
Baak
Jan P
JP
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000473:pathology*; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult