Thermal imaging as a diagnostic tool for superficial venous insufficiency - a systematic review

Abstract

ObjectivesEvaluation of the literature assessing the use of thermography, a non-invasive imaging modality that detects pathological temperature variation, in recognising superficial venous insufficiency (SVI).MethodsA systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles were screened by two individuals and data was subsequently extracted. Methodological quality was assessed with Cochrane's risk of bias tool.ResultsFour studies comprising 363 patients were included. Three studies identified increased temperature uptake in veins with incompetent valves on venous duplex (p < .05). One study reported sensitivity and specificity of thermal imaging in SVI as 98.30% (95% CI, 95.2%-99.4%) and 100% (95% CI 85.7%-100%) respectively.ConclusionThermal imaging could act as a screening tool in SVI. This review highlights a lack of high-quality prospective studies evaluating the role of thermal imaging as a diagnostic tool that could expedite the assessment of patients.

Keywords: Chronic venous disease; duplex ultrasound; vascular surgery; venous disease.

Figure 1.

PRISMA flow diagram demonstrating the total number of papers included.