Assessment of Physiologic and Pathologic Radiative Heat Dissipation Using Dynamic Infrared Imaging

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 972; no. 1; pp. 111 - 118
• Main Author: ANBAR, MICHAEL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2002
• Subjects: breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - physiopathology; computerized diagnosis; dynamic imaging; Female; heat dissipation; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; infrared; Infrared Rays; mental stress; Models, Biological; Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; neuropathy; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - physiology; perfusion; radiation; Skin - blood supply; Skin Temperature; Thermodynamics
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04560.x

: This paper reviews the mechanism and assessment of regulated radiative heat dissipation, involving the circulatory system and the skin. It describes the quantitative assessment of skin temperature modulation. The main regulating process, which can be quantitatively monitored by fast and sensitive dynamic infrared imaging, involves autonomic nervous control of cutaneous and subcutaneous perfusion. This control is significantly affected by a variety of local or systemic pathologic conditions, including cancer and certain neuropathies. A potential clinical application that objectively assesses local attenuation of temperature modulation in the presence of breast cancer is described in some detail. Systemic aberrations in skin temperature modulation can be clinically useful also in neurology. It can be used also in psychology and psychiatry to evaluate transient effects of mental stress on the autonomic nervous system.