Infrared thermography in breast evaluation: a pilot study in women of childbearing age

Infrared thermography has emerged as a promising technique for non-invasive detection of anomalies in breast tissues, reflecting changes in heat emission and temperature patterns. This article presents a proposed protocol for capturing mammary thermographic images in women of reproductive age, with the aim of enhancing evaluation and diagnosis in this population. To conduct this research, a comprehensive literature review was carried out across various scientific databases, taking into account relevant factors such as study type, target population, measured variables, and obtained results. A computational tool was developed for processing the thermographic images that were obtained following a proposed protocol, which is derived from the technological surveillance commented in the document. The methodology includes exclusion criteria to select effectively the patients, the precise instructions for the patient preparation before the exam, and the considerations about the exam environment to assure precision in the thermographic measures. Furthermore, a procedure for image capturing was established using a mechanical base design to position the patient in front of the thermographic camera. Finally, the thermographic image processing allowed to distinguish a frontier between the days of the menstrual cycle of the evaluated women, where it is presumed that there is no representative difference between the corporal temperature during the menstrual cycle.