title: Thermal symmetry of healthy feet: a precursor to a thermal study of diabetic feet prior to skin breakdown.
abstract: Early identification of areas of inflammation may aid prevention of diabetic foot ulcers. A new bespoke thermal camera system has been developed to thermally image feet at risk. Hotspots (areas at least 2.2 °C hotter than the contralateral site) may indicate areas of inflammation prior to any apparent visual signs. This article describes the thermal pattern and symmetry of 103 healthy pairs of feet. 68% of participants were thermally symmetric at the 33 foot sites measured. 32% of participants had at least one hotspot, but hotspots overall only accounted for 5% of the measurements made. Refinements to the definition of hotspots are proposed when considering feet at risk of ulceration.
authors.affiliation: Microvascular Diagnostics, Northern Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Petrova
authors.forename: Suhail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ainarkar
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plassmann
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whittam
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bevans
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kluwe
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Machin
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edmonds
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013696:Temperature; D013817:Thermography