Infrared thermal imaging and Doppler vessel pressurization ultrasonography to detect lower extremity deep vein thrombosis: Diagnostic accuracy study

Abstract Background and objective Infrared thermal imaging (IRTI) is a new technique for detecting deep vein thrombosis (DVT) based on DVT's infrared presentation and distribution characteristics (PDCs). A method that is singularly sensitive to DVT is needed. They, therefore, enrolled 157 subjects with suspected lower extremity DVT in a double‐blind, controlled clinical trial using IRTI, and Doppler compression ultrasonography (CPUS) to verify the clinical value of IRTI. Methods An IRTI system could precisely measure and store real‐time thermal images. A double‐blind, controlled clinical study using IRTI and detection on 157 patients with suspected DVTs, evaluating the following parameters: sensitivity, specificity, positive prescreening, negative prescreening, false positivity, false negativity, and diagnostic accordance of IRTI with CPUS for detecting DVT were conducted. Results Of 140 subjects who underwent screening both IRTI and CPUS detect were included for analyses. According to their IRTI DVT's presentation and distribution characteristics, patients were divided into IRTI‐ negative (n = 59) and IRTI‐positive (including suspicious IRTI positive) (n = 81) groups. CPUS identified 80 DVT‐negative and 60 DVT‐positive patients. The sensitivity of IRTI for detecting DVT was 88.33%, specificity 65.00%, false‐positive diagnosis 11.67%, false‐negative diagnosis 35.00%, positive prescreening 65.43%, negative prescreening 88.14%, diagnostic accordance rate 75.00%. IRTI results accorded with CPUS results ( P = .001) except for the positivity incidence ( χ 2 = 39.997, P < .001). Conclusions IRTI could be used to supplement CPUS detection for detecting DVTs and adjunctive diagnostic screening.