Characteristics of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging and Quantitative Evaluations for Patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome: a Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate characteristics of digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) and quantitative evaluations in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Methods:We reviewed the clinical records of 38 patients with BMS who visited the Oral Diseases Clinic of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from March 1st, 2018 to June 30th, 2018. The subjects were evaluated with digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) and for heart rate variability (HRV), unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR), and the proportion of coated tongue.Results: Most patients showed higher temperatures on the central part of the tongue (T2) than on the middle of the forehead (T1). The patients tended to have a high Low frequency/High frequency (LF/HF) ratio. Statistically significant negative correlations were noted between the age of patients and the temperature of T1 and T2. Statistically significant negative correlations were also observed between the LF/HF ratio and 'T1-T2' values. Conclusions:This study suggests that DITI and HRV are useful for the validation of patients with BMS. Correlations between the result values suggest that sympathetic function acceleration is related to temperature distribution and, ultimately, to symptoms.