Application of infrared thermography to determine the correlation between skin temperature and onset of graft versus host disease in patients after bone marrow transplantation: A preliminary study

Starting from the data collected on six patients with various types of hematological diseases that have received a bone marrow transplant, this study investigates the onset of GVHD (Graft versus Host Disease). The disease is linked to bone marrow transplantation and is caused by the immune cells (white blood cells) of the donor that attack the recipient's tissues (host). This causes damage to different areas of the body, such as liver, mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and skin. The latter turns red in some areas. The irritation of the skin leads to increased cutaneous temperature. This variation allows the study of the disease through thermography. The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the influence of GVHD on skin temperature to find an alternative method of diagnosis or support the current diagnostic process that could detect the disease before the normal clinical diagnosis with the advantages deriving from the utilization of thermography. The results obtained in this preliminary study showed a correlation between the skin temperature measured with a thermal camera and the onset of skin involvement in patients after bone marrow transplantation. The technique would bring benefits both to the patient, being non-invasive and not demanding at the time level, and to the health care system as it is economical and easily applied.