Thermal Signature of Pigmented Lesions as Observed by Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging

This study examined the thermal signature of pigmented lesions observed by digital infrared thermal imaging as a possible adjunct to physician diagnosis. Thermal images of pigmented lesions were compared to clinical examination by a plastic surgeon interested in skin diseases, dermatoscopy, and histopathology. A total of 35 patients with 55 pigmented skin lesions were considered. We found that all lesions emitting a dark signal on thermal imaging, compared to the nearby skin, were benign, while only one of all benign lesions (1.9%) had a bright "warm" signal. Benign lesions with papule/nodular morphology were dark in 87.5% of patients. All lesions diagnosed as malignant melanoma, both dermatoscopically and histologically, had plaque morphology; yet, only half demonstrated some signals on thermal imaging. Based on these results, we concluded that thermal imaging could be used as an adjunct to diagnosis when examining skin lesions. This study provided an introduction to using thermal imaging for spotting skin lesions.