Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Thermal changes of fingers after cold exposure
Inokuma S (1) , Onishi K (1) , Kijima Y (1) , Natada R (1) , Matsubara E (1) , Asashima H (1) ,
Nakachi S (1) , Wakabayashi N (1) , Hagiwara K (1) , Kobayashi S (1)
(1) Department of Allergy and Rheumatic Diseases/Japanese Red Cross
Medical Center/Tokyo/Japan
yoshicat@med.hokudai.ac.jp
Introduction and Objectives
INTRODUCTION: Vasoconstriction or dilatation in response to thermal stimuli
is of physiological importance in balneology. An aberrant response different from
that of normal individuals might be observed in disease status, as typified by Raynaud
phenomenon. To see the response pattern might help a diagnosis, and show a
guide for balneotherapy.
OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the sequential temperature changes after a cold
stimulus to hands and fingers, that could be encountered in daily life, in connective
tissue diseases (CTD) patients.
Methods
The CTD patients who visited to our hospital from June, 2008 to October, 2009,
and whose finger temperature changes were measured by thermography before and
after cold stimulus, were included. The temperature was determined by infrared
thermography (Infra-eye, Fujitsu, Japan). Prior to the test, the patients waited relaxing
in a temperature-controlled room (25°C) for 15 minutes. From before to immediately
after, and 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes after bilateral hands immersion into
10°C water for 10 seconds, skin temperature at the site proximal to the nailfold
(nailfold) and the dorsum of the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) of 10 fingers
were measured. The patterns of changing temperature were globally classified
based on visual perception how the lowered temperature persisted. The normal
reference pattern was adopted form our another study. As for the temperature difference
among fingers, standard difference (SD) of measured temperatures of 10
fingers was studied.
Results-Discussion
A total of 119 CTD patients, 109 females and 10 males aged 55.0±17.8 (21-81),
were examined. The changing courses of the temperatures were classified into 5
patterns: (1) normal, (2) rebound, (3) progressive decline, (4) delayed recovery, and
(5) persistently low. The patient number in each pattern was listed in the table, The
mean and SD of 10 fingers’ temperature of each patient was re-summarized as ‘the
mean temperature’, and ‘the mean of the SD’ in the table.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 196-197
196
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4