Method for auxiliary use of thermography in diagnosing inflammation in the coxofemoral joint in dogs

Abstract

Joint diseases are relatively common in domestic animals, such as dogs. The involved inflammation produces thermal emission, which can be imaged using specific sensors that allow capturing of infrared images. Given that there have been few reports on the use of thermography in the diagnosis of inflammation associated with diseases of the hip joint in dogs, we here propose a method for identification of inflammatory foci in dogs by using infrared thermometry. The present study aimed to find non-invasive and low-cost resources that couldfacilitate a clinical diagnosis in cases withinflammation in the coxofemoral joint of dogs.To this end, we developed a system in whichthe Flir Systems TG165 thermograph is coupled to a black PVC cannula with a 30-cm focus-to-animal distance.External effects of the environment on the temperature of the animalswere compared with the body temperature as measured by a conventional thermometer.Thirty-one dogs with and without inflammation in the coxofemoral joint underwent clinical evaluation.We verified that the temperature registered by the thermograph inthe animals with joint inflammation was significantlydifferentfrom that incontrol animals without inflammation, in the lateral projection.The method showed a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 87.5%, and accuracy of 83.87%. This standardized method of diagnosis of inflammatory foci in the coxofemoral articulation of dogs by way of thermography showed sensitivity, specificity, and satisfactory accuracy.