title: Ocular surface temperature gradient is increased in eyes with bacterial corneal ulcers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ocular surface temperature gradient in eyes with bacterial corneal ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective examination of 12 eyes with bacterial corneal ulcers (group 1) and 12 control eyes (group 2). Infrared thermal imaging (Tomey TG 1000) was used to study the temperature of the ocular surface. The mean, minimum and maximum temperature of the ocular surface and temperature course over a time period of 10 s of sustained eye opening were evaluated. Furthermore, a correlation between the overall corneal temperature and the temperature at the base of the corneal ulcers was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference between both groups was present. Mean corneal temperature was 35.6°C ± 0.9 in group 1 and 34.8°C ± 0.8 in group 2 (p = 0.033). The temperature course over 10 s of sustained eye opening was -0.6°C ± 0.4 in group 1 and -0.3°C ± 0.2 in group 2 (p = 0.045). There was a close correlation between the mean temperature at the base of the corneal ulcer and the overall corneal temperature (r = 0.92, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infrared thermal imaging can be used to objectively determine the increased ocular surface temperature in patients with bacterial corneal ulcers. The use of dynamic thermography may offer new options to monitor ocular surface alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany. matthias.klamann@charite.de
authors.forename: Matthias K J
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Klamann
authors.forename: Anna-Karina B
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonnermann
authors.forename: Julian Philip
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertelmann
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pleyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*