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Dynamic infrared thermography (DIRT) for assessment of skin blood perfusion in cranioplasty: a proof of concept for qualitative comparison with the standard indocyanine green video angiography (ICGA)

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Complications in wound healing after neurosurgical operations occur often due to scarred dehiscence with skin blood perfusion disturbance. The standard imaging method for intraoperative skin perfusion assessment is the invasive indocyanine green video angiography (ICGA). The noninvasive dynamic infrared thermography (DIRT) is a promising alternative modality that was evaluated by comparison with ICGA.

Methods

The study was carried out in two parts: (1) investigation of technical conditions for intraoperative use of DIRT for its comparison with ICGA, and (2) visual and quantitative comparison of both modalities in a proof of concept on nine patients. Time–temperature curves in DIRT and time–intensity curves in ICGA for defined regions of interest were analyzed. New perfusion parameters were defined in DIRT and compared with the usual perfusion parameters in ICGA.

Results

The visual observation of the image data in DIRT and ICGA showed that operation material, anatomical structures and skin perfusion are represented similarly in both modalities. Although the analysis of the curves and perfusion parameter values showed differences between patients, no complications were observed clinically. These differences were represented in DIRT and ICGA equivalently.

Conclusions

DIRT has shown a great potential for intraoperative use, with several advantages over ICGA. The technique is passive, contactless and noninvasive. The practicability of the intraoperative recording of the same operation field section with ICGA and DIRT has been demonstrated. The promising results of this proof of concept provide a basis for a trial with a larger number of patients.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Paul Rathmann and Claire Chalopin have contributed equally to the work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovation Center Computer Assisted Surgery (ICCAS), University Leipzig, Semmelweisstraße 14, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    P. Rathmann, C. Chalopin & P. Giri

  2. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstraße 12, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    D. Halama

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    J. Meixensberger & D. Lindner

Authors
  1. P. Rathmann
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  2. C. Chalopin
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  3. D. Halama
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  4. P. Giri
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  5. J. Meixensberger
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  6. D. Lindner
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Correspondence to C. Chalopin.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Rathmann, P., Chalopin, C., Halama, D. et al. Dynamic infrared thermography (DIRT) for assessment of skin blood perfusion in cranioplasty: a proof of concept for qualitative comparison with the standard indocyanine green video angiography (ICGA). Int J CARS 13, 479–490 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-017-1683-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-017-1683-5

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