Study Validates Thermal Imaging, ALT-70 Model for Distinguishing Cellulitis from Pseudocellulitis
A new diagnostic validation study in JAMA Dermatology has shed light on the potential of surface thermal imaging and the ALT-70 (asymmetry, leukocytosis, tachycardia, and age ≥70 years) prediction model in differentiating cellulitis from pseudocellulitis. “Cellulitis is misdiagnosed in up to 30% of cases due to mimic conditions termed pseudocellulitis,” the authors wrote. “The resulting overuse of antibiotics is a threat to patient safety and public health. Surface thermal imaging and the ALT-70 (asymmetry, leukocytosis, tachycardia, and age ≥70 years) prediction model have been proposed as tools to help differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis.” The authors conducted the study in patients presenting with acute dermatologic lower extremity symptoms in the ED, aiming to validate differences in skin surface temperatures between cellulitis and pseudocellulitis cases. They assessed various temperature measures and optimal cut points for differentiation, comparing their performance wi