Evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness and prognosis in patients with diabetes complicated with lower limbal vascular pathological changes by thermal infrared image technique

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2004.06.006

Abstract：BACKGROUND:There is no clinical reliable and rapid evaluating method available in diabetes limbal vascular pathological changes recently. OBJECTIVE:To discuss the applications of thermal infrared image technique in the diagnosis of diabetes limbal vascular pathological changes and the evaluation of prognosis. DESIGN:A case-controlled study on the basis of diagnosis. SETTING,PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS:Ten cases of diabetes complicated with minor vascular pathological changes,10 cases of diabetes complicated with severe vascular pathological changes and 20 cases of diabetes complicated with multiple complications as well as 20 cases of diabetes without complications were selected from endocrinology inpatient department of Xinqiao Affiliated Hospital of the Third Military Medical University to be examined with thermal infrared imagery on two lower limbs.Patients with complications were treated by complication therapy and allocated into therapy group;patients without complications were treated by routine diabetes therapy and allocated into control group.The therapeutic results were evaluated by thermal infrared imager to observe the body temperature changes between two groups after therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The changes of thermal infrared images of two groups of patients before and after therapy. RESULTS:There was no significance between the thermal infrared images between two groups before treatment(P >0.05).The differences in body temperature in the two groups after treatment[(0.27± 0.26) ℃ ]significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(t=6.13,P< 0.001),which indicated a significant improvement of microcirculation. CONCLUSION:Thermal infrared image technique is a reliable and rapid method in evaluation of diagnosis and therapeutic effectiveness of vascular pathological changes in diabetes patients.