Comparison of sensitivity and plantar cutaneous temperature of patients with stroke and Diabetes Mellitus: A pilot case-control study

Abstract

Background: Stroke combined with Diabetes Mellitus may cause sensibility and vascular alterations.

Objective: To determine whether sensitivity and plantar cutaneous temperature of clinically controlled patients with stroke and DM are different from those of patients with stroke only.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional case-control study. The volunteers were assessed for sensitivity by monofilament esthesiometry in their plantar region, and for temperature by infrared thermal imaging. The data was presented as means and standard deviations and comparisons were conducted with the Mann-Whitney statistical test, with statistical significance set at p< 0.05.

Results: Five cases and 11 controls were included according to the eligibility and pairing criteria. There were no discrepancies between the plegic and contralateral sides regarding temperature and sensibility of both cases and controls. However, in the control group, there was an observable tendency for different temperatures between the plegic and the contralateral sides, with p< 0.05 in most of the comparisons.

Conclusions: There is no evidence that the cases and controls have different plantar sensibility nor different plantar temperature on their plegic and contralateral sides. However, significant temperature discrepancies between both plegic and contralateral sides were observed in the control group.

Keywords: Stroke; body temperature; cutaneous sensitivity; esthesiometry; evaluation; thermography.