Qualitative and quantitative pathology of clinically relevant thermal lesions

Cautery, the application of hot fluids, burning sticks, hot coals or heated metal rods for treatment of disease, has been used to control of bleeding and treat wounds, ulcers and tumors since Neolithic times. [1-6] It has only been in the last 130 years that various electromagnetic energy sources have been exploited to produce heat for thermal medical treatments. [1, 7,8] These sources include lasers (light) and radiofrequency, microwave frequency and ultrasound generators. [8] Currently, the heat generated by the interaction of these energy frequencies with targeted biologic tissues is being used to treat superficial and deep lesions for a variety of lesions in several different organs.

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