Thermographic patterns of the breast: a critical analysis of interpretation.

In a prospective evaluation, 1,000 consecutive breast thermograms were categorized as either normal or having 1 of 4 abnormal patterns: diffuse, asymmetrical, focal, or peri-areolar. Of 49 proved carcinomas, 43 produced an abnormal patterns; the asymmetric type was 3 times as common as the focal. Tumors producing focal patterns were slightly smaller than those producing asymmetrical patterns. Almost 30% of the non-malignant lesions produced an abnormal thermogram. This procedure can not generally be used to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions; there may be, therefore, little diagnostic value in categorizing abnormal thermograms. The usefulness of thermography in the detection of occult carcinomas has not been established.