DOI: 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.20 ISSN: 3070-1562

Consensus of Chinese Experts on the Clinical Application of Medical Infrared Thermography

Lu Zhenhe, Lu Yan, Wu Shiming, Liu Jinfeng, Wan Li, Wu Dasheng, Xiong Donglin, Jia Heping, Duan Baolin, Yu Lingzhi, Shen Wen, Wang Yunxia, Liu Hui, Shi Kemei, Li Yimei, Ma Minyu, Zhou Huacheng, Tao Gaojian, Wang Dequan, Zhou Ling, Chen Jianping, Huang Suixiang, Shang Hongsheng
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Medical infrared thermography (MIT), as a non?invasive functional imaging technique without ionizing radiation, can sensitively and timely detect subtle body-surface temperature changes triggered by physiological and pathological factors in human body. It can objectively reflect the functional status of soft tissues, internal organs, blood vessels and peripheral nerves, and help clinicians locate pain-related lesions and preliminarily judge their pathological properties, making up for the limitations of morphological imaging that mainly display structural abnormalities. This Chinese expert consensus summarizes domestic and international clinical research evidence and practical experience, and provides detailed, operable guidance for the clinical application of MIT, covering standardized examination procedures, image reading principles, differential analysis of thermal signals, and targeted application in various painful disorders. Starting from physiological normal thermal distribution characteristics of human body surface, this consensus conducts comprehensive analysis on the clinical significance of abnormally elevated and abnormally reduced thermal readings, sorts out common interference factors affecting image interpretation, and puts forward practical clinical recommendations for pain-related disease assessment, differential diagnosis and curative-effect follow-up. It aims to standardize clinical operation and interpretation behaviors of MIT, promote its rational clinical popularization, and provide objective imaging basis for auxiliary diagnosis and individualized treatment of pain related diseases.

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