Thermography

Thermography, method to measure the slightest variations in temperature of soft tissue in the body using infrared heat sensors. The technique is often used in mammography (breast examination) to detect any growth in the breast (the mass will have a different temperature from other breast tissue). Thermography can also be used on an extremity, particularly the leg, to help diagnose a thrombus (clot) in a vein. The area of the body to be tested is usually placed on a heat-detection device that reacts to specific temperatures, either by color changes or by a direct display of temperatures.