02118nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001260001000042653001800052653002100070653001300091100001700104700001400121700001400135700001700149700001500166245010000181300000900281520159700290022002501887       2024                            d  bWiley10aSkin Diseases10aInfrared therapy10aEvidence1 aSpeeckaert R1 aHoorens I1 aLambert J1 aSpeeckaert M1 avan Geel N00aBeyond visual inspection: The value of infrared thermography in skin diseases, a scoping review  a1-153 a<p>Although warmth is a key sign of inflammatory skin lesions, an objective assessment and follow‐up of the temperature changes are rarely done in dermatology. The recent availability of accurate, sensitive and cost‐effective thermography devices has made the implementation of thermography in clinical settings feasible. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize the evidence around the value and pitfalls of infrared thermography (IRT) when used in the dermatology clinic. A systematic literature search was done for original articles using IRT in skin disorders. The results concerning the potential of IRT for diagnosis, severity staging and monitoring of skin diseases were collected. The data on the sensitivity and specificity of IRT were extracted. Numerous studies have investigated IRT in various skin diseases, revealing its significant value in wound management, skin infections (e.g. cellulitis), vascular abnormalities and deep skin inflammation (e.g. hidradenitis suppurativa). For other dermatological applications such as the interpretation of intradermal and patch allergy testing, hyper−/anhidrosis, erythromelalgia, cold urticaria and lymph node metastases more complex calculations, provocation tests or active cooling procedures are required. Dermatologists should be aware of a learning curve of IRT and recognize factors contributing to false positive and false negative results. Nonetheless, enough evidence is available to recommend IRT as a supplement to the clinical evaluation for the diagnosis, severity and follow‐up of several skin diseases.</p>
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