title: Accuracy of infrared thermography of the masticatory muscles for the diagnosis of myogenous temporomandibular disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of infrared thermography of the central point of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles for the diagnosis of myogenous temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an observational study of university women with and without TMD. Through the use of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders, 104 women were divided into a TMD group (n = 52) and control group (n = 52). All volunteers had their masseter and anterior temporalis muscles evaluated by infrared thermography. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the accuracy of diagnosis (area under the ROC curve), the best cut-off point, sensitivity, and specificity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed (P > .05) in the skin surface temperature of the masticatory muscles, when the groups were compared. With regard to the ROC curve, the area under the curve was lower than the recommended for all the muscles tested, ranging from 0.433 to 0.502.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that infrared thermography of the masticatory muscles is not an accurate instrument for the myogenous TMD diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Physiotherapy, Methodist University of Piracicaba, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. dibaifilho@gmail.com
authors.forename: Almir Vieira
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Dibai Filho
authors.forename: Amanda Carine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Packer
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia de Souza
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Delaine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Bigaton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*