Tuberculine reaction measured by infrared thermography.
METHODS
The infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis gives a delayed immune response, measured by the tuberculine skin test. We present a new technique for evaluation based on automatic detection and measurement of skin temperature due to infrared emission.


METHODS
34 subjects (46.8±16.9 years) (12/22, M/F) with suspected tuberculosis disease were examined with an IR thermal camera, 48 h after tuberculin skin injection.


RESULTS
In 20 subjects, IR analysis was positive for tuberculine test. Mean temperature of injection area was higher, around 1°C, for the positive group (36.2±1.1°C positive group; 35.1±1.6°C negative group, p<0.02 T test for unpaired groups).


CONCLUSIONS
IR image analysis achieves similar estimation of tuberculin reaction as the visual evaluation, based on higher temperature due to increased heat radiation from the skin lesion.
Pulmonology Department, Germans Trias I Pujol Universitary Hospital, 8th, Carretera del Canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain; Center for Language and Speech Technologies and Applications (TALP), Technical University of Catalunya (UPC), Jordi Girona, 1-3, S112, Campus Nord, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jafiz@msn.com.
José Antonio
JA
Fiz
Innovation Group, Health Sciences Research Institute of Germans Trias i Pujol Fundation(IGTIP), Ctra, de Can Ruti/Camí de les escoles s/n, 08916, Badalona, Spain. Electronic address: mlozanogar@gmail.com.
Manuel
M
Lozano
Center for Language and Speech Technologies and Applications (TALP), Technical University of Catalunya (UPC), Jordi Girona, 1-3, S112, Campus Nord, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: enric.monte@upc.edu.
Enrique
E
Monte-Moreno
Pulmonology Department, Germans Trias I Pujol Universitary Hospital, 8th, Carretera del Canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain. Electronic address: agonzalezm.germanstrias@gencat.cat.
Adela
A
Gonzalez-Martinez
Pompeu Fabra University, Escola Superior Politècnica Tecnocampus, Avda. Ernest Lluch 32, 08302 Mataró, Spain. Electronic address: faundez@tecnocampus.cat.
Marcos
M
Faundez-Zanuy
Pulmonology Department, Germans Trias I Pujol Universitary Hospital, 8th, Carretera del Canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain. Electronic address: arialcb@gmail.com.
Caroline
C
Becker
Pulmonology Department, Germans Trias I Pujol Universitary Hospital, 8th, Carretera del Canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain. Electronic address: laurarodriguezpons@gmail.com.
Laura
L
Pons-Rodriguez
Pulmonology Department, Germans Trias I Pujol Universitary Hospital, 8th, Carretera del Canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain. Electronic address: jruizmanzano.germanstrias@gencat.cat.
Juan
J
Ruiz Manzano
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*; D014373:Tuberculin; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000379:methods*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D014373:Tuberculin
Image processing; Infrared thermography; Tuberculine test