This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Infrared thermography a reliable method for infantile hemangioma assessment

Researchers found infrared thermography to be a time-efficient, safe, painless and practical method for monitoring infantile hemangiomas, according to a study.

The prospective cohort study assessed the ability of infrared thermography to determine the proliferation and involution of infantile hemangiomas compared with a visual analog scale. Forty-two infants at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with at least three follow-up visits 1 month apart were included for analysis. Participants’ mean age was 3.7 months.

The most common locations of infantile hemangioma were the head and neck (81%) followed by the trunk (7%) and extremities (7%). Superficial and deep components or mixed infantile hemangiomas were the most common type reported (57%). Most patients (86%) were receiving treatment during the study.

Mean temperature difference at baseline was 1.9°F, which increased to its highest point at 3 months to 2.5°F, according to the researchers. A plateau occurred between 8 to 12 months, after which the temperature decreased progressively to 0.2°F at 18.5 months (P < .001).

Mean visual analog scale increased over the same period and was inversely correlated with the mean temperature difference (r = −0.25), according to the researchers. Facial location, infantile hemangioma type, age and surface area at baseline all affected temperature difference over time.

At 18 months, 32 of 36 treated infantile hemangiomas (89%) reached a zero-temperature difference compared with 3 of 6 untreated infantile hemangiomas (50%), according to the researchers.

In a subsequent parent questionnaire, 38 of 42 parents felt infrared thermography was an easy method to implement, with no inconvenience reported. Temperature measurement took less than 30 seconds, and no child discomfort was reported.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.