Identifying XXXX in the adolescent with thermography: a preliminary study.

@entity1 @entity154 @entity1615 @entity1513 @entity1635 @entity2112 @entity85
Early diagnosis of @entity1615 is essential to prevent severe @entity85 . The accuracy of thermographic examination of the spine in the detection of minor degrees of curvature has been assessed in 125 asymptomatic young @entity1 mean age 13.4 +/- 0.8 years who were also examined clinically and by spinal X-ray. Assessment of thermograms selected at random from the group of 154 young subjects showed that thermography has a sensitivity of 98.2% and a specificity of 91.0% in the identification of @entity1635 when compared with radiography. Thermographic examination of the spine is simple, noninvasive and provides a permanent recording which is easily interpreted. It may provide an ideal method for use in large-scale prospective surveys. The criteria used to detect the thermographic abnormality associated with @entity2112 was derived from the spinal thermograms of 29 @entity1 , mean age 10.25 +/- 4.65 years with known @entity1635 , mean angle of curve 27 degrees +/- 12 degrees. In contrast to the thermal symmetry of the normal spine, all the thermograms of these @entity1 show asymmetry, characteristically an increase in thermal emission on the concave aspect of the curve. Eight of the 16 @entity1 with @entity1635 with minor curves and a characteristic thermogram were not detected clinically. There were 25 asymmetrical thermograms in the asymptomatic group. Three of these @entity1 had a simple postural defect, 5 had dorsal @entity1513 and 16 had @entity2112 . @entity154 and @entity1513 were readily recognized on clinical examination and did not produce the characteristic scoliotic thermogram.
