CLINICO-PATHOLOGICAL STUDIES ON CONTACT THERMOGRAPHICAL FINDINGS IN BREAST DISEASES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE DIFFERENCE OF TEMPERATURE (ΔT)

Contact thermographical findings in breast diseases were clinicopathologically studied, and the significance of the difference in temperature (ΔT) between the right and left breasts in the diagnostic criteria was discussed. Thermographic patterns were analized in 318 malignant and 216 benign breast diseases according to the criteria, that ΔT of more than 0.4°C was designated as positive in each pattern of local hyperthermia, hypervascularity or nipple yperthermia. When tumors with a diameter of less than 3cm were reviewed, positive rate was significantly higher in papillo-tubular carcinomas than scirrhous carcinomas. Thermographical malignant pattern was found in 79.2% of breast cancers and 17.6% of benign diseases with a significant difference. The malignant pattern and ΔT were significantly correlated with size of the tumor and histological types. Papillo-tubular carcinoma were more frequently positive than scirrhous carcinoma and ductal spreading tumors more frequently rated as positive than non-ductal spreading tumors. Thermographical negative or low ΔT tumors tended to have higher proliferative activity. These results suggest that the thermographic diagnostic criteria designating ΔT of more than 0.4°C as positive for each pattern may be reasonable and reflect biological characteristics to a certain degree.