<title>Thermal imaging of brain tumors in a rat glioma model</title>

Abstract

We have explored the capability of thermal imaging for the detection of brain tumors in a rat glioma model. Fourteen Wistar rats were injected stereotactically with 100,000 C6 glioma cells. Approximately one and two weeks post implantation, the rats were undergone bilateral craniotomy and the exposed brain surface was imaged with a short wave thermal camera. Thermal images were obtained at both low (~28.7°C) and high (~38 °C) core temperatures. Temperature gradients between the tumor site and the contralateral normal brain were calculated. Overall, the tumors appeared cooler than normal brain, for both high and low core temperatures. Average temperature difference between tumor and normal brain were maximal in more advanced tumors (two weeks) and at higher core temperatures: At one week (N=6), the average temperature gradient between tumor and normal sites was 0.1 °C and 0.2 °C at low and high core temperatures respectively (P>0.05). At two weeks (N=8), the average temperature gradient was 0.3°C and 0.7°C at low and high core temperatures respectively (P<0.05). We conclude that thermal imaging can detect temperature differences between tumor and normal brain tissue in this model, particularly in more advanced tumors. Thermal imaging may provide a novel means to identify brain tumors intraoperatively.

Intraoperative thermal infrared imaging in neurosurgery: machine learning approaches for advanced segmentation of tumors

“…Although the literature about the application of thermal IRI in neurosurgery is sparse, it is known that the presence of brain neoplasms alters the thermal homeostasis of the surrounding tissue. Indeed, studies on animal and human models reported a lower temperature pro le of primary tumors of glial origin than the surrounding parenchyma [18][19][20]. Gorbach et al showed that glial tumors have a temperature 0.5-2.0°C lower than the surrounding healthy brain parenchyma [19].…”