The skin temperature gradient in the upper limbs of old women

In the upper limbs of 103 convalescent old women, there was a fall of skin temperature between axilla and thumbs equal to 4.8 degrees C. Variations in temperature became wider from proximal to distal sites, being 3.2 degrees in the right axilla and 3.4 degrees C in the left; compared with 14.0 degrees in the right thumb and 13.6 degrees C in the left. Skin temperature could be correlated with circumambient air, but not with age.