THERMOSEMIOTICS OF CHRONIC TONSILLITIS

Abstract

The aim of the study is to establish the thermosemiotics of chronic tonsillitis by ascertaining the features of infrared radiation in the submandibular region, on the palms, knees and in the center of the arches of healthy people, and comparing the results with the corresponding indices of such patients.

Patients and methods. We examined 32 healthy volunteers with normal body temperature, who did not have pathologies of tonsils, aged 20 to 56 years, avarage – (28.3±2.3) years. Of these, 19 male (59.4 %) and 13 female (40.6 %), the average age of sex was approximately the same, in male – (30.2±3.3) years, in female – (26.4±3.6 years) (P>0.05).

The study group of patients with chronic tonsillitis in the stage of exacerbation consisted of 23 people. Of these, 9 are compensated, and 14 persons have a decompensated form of inflammation.

To determine the characteristics of infrared radiation, the medical thermal imager TI-120 was used. Thermogram analysis was performed using the IRSee Software software package.

Statistical processing of data was performed on a personal computer using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and the Statistica for Windows v. 6.0, StatSoft Inc. (USA).

Results and Discussion. It was established that symmetry, homogeneity and isotherm are the normal thermographic features of the skin. Acceptable physiological thermoacymmetry is 0.3 °C with predominance in both the left and right side. There are no significant differences between male and female.

At chronic tonsillitis in the exacerbation phase, the thermotogram of the anterior part of the neck also showed a moderate overall «warming up» of the neck, a symptom of a «collar», where, on the background of insignificant hyperthermia, isolated, brighter focal luminosities in the projection of lymph nodes, mostly submandibular (ΔT=0.6 °С) Also, the center of the palm heating of which was higher than normal (P<0.05). At the same time, the average temperature indices of the knee joints were statistically significantly higher than the values of healthy people – (35.4±0.8) against (32.5±0.6) °C (P<0.01). Similarly, the thermal picture of the foot arch center was changed. In particular, in chronic tonsillitis in the phase of exacerbation, a significant heating of the indicated area compared with healthy people – (35.1±0.8) against (28.4±0.5) °С (Р<0.05).

Conclusions. 1. In chronic tonsillitis in the phase of exacerbation, a moderate total warm-up of the neck and center of the palms were established, the heating of which was higher than normal. At the same time, the average temperature indices of the knee joints and the center of the foot arch exceeded the values of healthy people – (35.4±0.8) against (32.5±0.6) °С (Р<0.01) and (35.1±0.8) against (28.4±0.5) °C (P<0.05) respectively. Hyperthermia of the knee joints and the center of the foot arch can be considered a hallmark of chronic tonsillitis in the phase of exacerbation.

2. The degree of compensation for chronic inflammation of the tonsils can be estimated by the level of temperature variation above the knees and the lower part of the hips and in the center of the foot arch and adjacent areas: ΔT in the range of 0.6-1.6 °C indicates the compensated form, and ΔT is greater than 1.6 °С is usually a sign of a decompensated form of chronic tonsillitis.