NOGUEIRA, F. R. B.; NOGUEIRA, Francisco Roserlândio Botão.
Abstract:
This thesis consists of three papers that discuss the use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) in
veterinary medicine as an aid in the diagnosis of diseases and inflammatory processes tool.
Technology able to identify temperature changes on the skin surface as a result of
subcutaneous inflammatory processes. The first article is a literature review on the use of TIV,
their strengths, limitations and main pathologies that have been the object of research:
laminitis, digital dermatitis, foot and mouth disease, bluetongue, bovine respiratory disease
and mastitis complex. The second presents a study which evaluated the use of IRT in the
diagnosis of mastitis in sheep. The diagnosis of mastitis was based on clinical findings,
California Mastitis Test (CMT) and microbiological culture and isolation, and the
determination of plasma fibrinogen as a marker of inflammation. With thermograms of the
breasts of the sheep was possible to identify differences between the Gland Surface
Temperatures (TSG) of healthy mammary gland 34.28 º C, with subclinical mastitis 33.8 º C
and those with chronic clinical mastitis at 33.04 º C. The third article deals with the use of
(IRT) to identify non-lactating sheep TSG and its relation to the structure and tissue activity.
The sheep were photographed and after mastectomy for collecting tissue fragment and
histopathological evaluation, the presence of immune cells, stromal, parenchyma and adipose
tissue when observed. Then the glands were classified as active, inactive and atrophic. Then
the glands were classified as active, inactive and atrophic. The results indicated that the
greater the presence of cells of higher defense TSG 31.8 º C, 32.6 º C, 33.8 º C and 34.58 ° C
when the presence was slight, mild, moderate and severe, respectively. As for the activity, the
atrophied glands showed lower temperature than the active and inactive 32.4 º C, 34.2 º C and
34.3 º C, respectivelyas a result of strong presence of stroma replacing the parenchyma,
healing of the inflammatory processes.
