Holistic multi-class classification & grading of diabetic foot ulcerations from plantar thermal images using deep learning

Shishir Muralidhara, Adriano Lucieri, Andreas Dengel, Sheraz Ahmed

Abstract: Diabetic foot is a common complication associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) leading to ulcerations in the feet. Due to diabetic neuropathy, most patients have reduced sensitivity to pain. As a result, minor injuries go unnoticed and progress into ulcers. The timely detection of potential ulceration points and intervention is crucial in preventing amputation. Changes in plantar temperature are one of the early signs of ulceration. Previous studies have focused on either binary classification or grading of DM severity, but neglect the holistic consideration of the problem. Moreover, multi-class studies exhibit severe performance variations between different classes.