Original scientific paper

The value of theromography as a diagnostic aid in sciatica

Milan Vujčić

Abstract

Four hundred patients with the clinical diagnosis of sciatica underwent thermographic examination. AGA 780 Medical equipment was utilized. The examination started after 15-minute cooling at the ambient temperature of 18—21 °C. Three hundred and seventy-six patients had hypothermia and five hyperthermia over the diseased leg. Six patients had symmetrical isothermal distribution, and in 13 patients any conclusion was unsafe due to a great number of varicose veins over legs. Thermographic changes on legs occured in different places Thermographic changes over lumbar spine, which were hyperthermic, were localized mainly opposite to the changes on legs, but the certain conclusion was possible in 57% of patients only. It can be concluded that thermography enables the diagnosis of sciatica in that it shows changes ovei the diseased leg in nearly all patients with actual complaints. However, thermography is not the certain method in determination of the disc lesion level, due to the fact that hypothermic zones do not follow dermatomes strictly and that hyperthermic zones over lumbar region could be found in healthy people.

Keywords

termography; diagnosis of sciatica

Hrčak ID:

197189

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/197189

Publication date:

1.12.1988.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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