title: Is thermography useful for assessment of postoperative inflammation after surgical removal of mandibular third molars when methylprednisolone is administered and how does it correlate with patients' perception of swelling?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the differences in facial skin temperature after mandibular third molar removal when patients received methylprednisolone and placebo, respectively and to assess the correlation between patient-reported swelling using a visual analog scale (VAS) and facial skin temperature measured using thermography.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved patients with 2 mandibular third molars with an indication for removal. The patients received either methylprednisolone or placebo in a randomized, crossover study design. Thermograms and the swelling VAS score were recorded 2 days after surgery. The outcome variable was the temperature difference (Δt) between the operated and control sides. A 2-sample t test analyzed the difference in Δt between the first and second operations. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between the swelling VAS scores and the Δt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 124 patients (67 males, 57 females, mean age 25 years) had both mandibular third molars removed on 2 separate occasions. No difference in Δt was found when methylprednisolone and placebo were given (P = .07). In addition, the correlation between the swelling VAS score and Δt was 0.30 (P = .001) and 0.09 (P = .3) after the first and second operation, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thermography does not seem sensitive enough to detect differences in the inflammatory response when patients received methylprednisolone or placebo. The correlation between the Δt and patient-reported swelling was low (≤0.3).
authors: PhD Student, Section for Oral Radiology and Section for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University Graduate School of Health, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: jennifer.heather.christensen@odontologi.au.dk.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Christensen
authors: Research Assistant, Section for Oral Radiology and Section for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Louise Hauge
authors: LH
authors: Matzen
authors: Professor, Section for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University Graduate School of Health, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Søren
authors: S
authors: Schou
authors: Professor, Section for Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University Graduate School of Health, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Væth
authors: Professor, Section for Oral Radiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University Graduate School of Health, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: Wenzel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004487:Edema / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013817:Thermography; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D064232:Visual Analog Scale
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D008775:Methylprednisolone