Thermography Represents a New Way of Diagnosing Hyperthyroidism as a Point-of-Care Diagnostic Medical Device

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid diseases are among the most prevalent diseases in the world, and one of the most unnecessarily neglected diseases. When iodine is sufficient, autoimmune dysfunction is responsible for most cases of thyroid dysfunction. Graves' disease accounts for about 70% of cases of hyperthyroidism, in which TSH receptor antibodies in the form of Thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin’s increase. A very small percentage of thyroid nodules may be cancerous. The presence of the thyroid gland near the surface of the skin and any change in the temperature of the thyroid gland can be measured using a thermal imaging camera.

Materials and methods: 400 patients were arranged into 4 groups, group 1: 100 patients with Graves' disease with diffuse hyperthyroidism, Group 2: 100 patients with hyperthyroidism with focal thyroid disease. group3:100 patients with hypothyroidism. Group 4, 100 patients with normal thyroid

Results: The results show significant differences between patients with diffuse and hyperthyroidism vs. hypothyroid and the control group. As thyroid diseases are growing very much and there is a great percentage of neglected cases. There must be new ways to help in thyroid disease diagnosis, especially hyperthyroidism. Thermography represents a new way of diagnosing hyperthyroidism as a Point-of-care diagnostic medical device.