Temperature differences are associated with malignancy on lung lesions: a clinical study

Christodoulos Stefanadis, Christina Chrysohoou, Demosthenes B Panagiotakos, Elisabeth Passalidou, Vasiliki Katsi, Vlassios Polychronopoulos, Pavlos K Toutouzas, Christodoulos Stefanadis, Christina Chrysohoou, Demosthenes B Panagiotakos, Elisabeth Passalidou, Vasiliki Katsi, Vlassios Polychronopoulos, Pavlos K Toutouzas

Abstract

Background: Although new endoscopic techniques can enhance the ability to detect a suspicious lung lesion, the primary diagnosis still depends on subjective visual assessment. We evaluated whether thermal heterogeneity of solid tumors, in bronchial epithelium, constitutes an additional marker for the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions.

Methods: A new method, developed in our institute, is introduced in order to detect temperature in human pulmonary epithelium, in vivo. This method is based on a thermography catheter, which passes the biopsy channel of the fiber optic bronchoscope. We calculated the temperature differences (DeltaT) between the lesion and a normal bronchial epithelium area on 22 lesions of 20 subjects, 50 - 65 years old.

Results: Eleven lesions were benign and 11 were malignant, according to the biopsy histology followed the thermography procedure. We found significant differences of AT between patients with benign and malignant tumor (0.71 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.23 +/- 0.4 degrees C, p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that 1-Celsius degree differences between normal tissue and suspicious lesion six-fold the probability of malignancy (odds ratio = 6.18, 95% CI 0.89 - 42.7). Also, DeltaT values greater than 1.05 degrees C, constitutes a crucial point for the discrimination of malignancy, in bronchial epithelium, with sensitivity (64%) and specificity (91%).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the calculated DeltaT between normal tissue and a neoplastic area could be a useful criterion for the diagnosis of malignancy in tumors of lung lesions.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The steerable thermography catheter. The proximal edge of the catheter with the connector and the distal part of the catheter with the polyamide thermistor (Th)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Box – Whisker plots showing the median, the interquartile range and the 2.5th – 97.5th percentile of the temperature differences, between the groups of the participants.

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