title: Reference breast temperature: proposal of an equation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an equation to estimate the breast reference temperature according to the variation of room and core body temperatures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four asymptomatic women were evaluated for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Using thermography, the temperature of breasts and eyes was measured as indirect reference of core body and room temperatures. To analyze the thermal behavior of the breasts during the cycle, the core body and room temperatures were normalized by means of a mathematical equation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed 180 observations and the core temperature had the highest correlation with the breast temperature, followed by room temperature. The proposed prediction model could explain 45.3% of the breast temperature variation, with variable room temperature variable; it can be accepted as a way to estimate the reference breast temperature at different room temperatures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The average breast temperature in healthy women had a direct relation with the core and room temperature and can be estimated mathematically. It is suggested that an equation could be used in clinical practice to estimate the normal breast reference temperature in young women, regardless of the day of the cycle, therefore assisting in evaluation of anatomical studies.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gladis Aparecida Galindo Reisemberger de
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Leal
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brioschi
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Viriato Coelho
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Keli Cristiane Correia
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalmaso Neto
authors.affiliation: Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Borba
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Neves
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D001940:Breast / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005123:Eye; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013817:Thermography; D055815:Young Adult