GUO Shanshan,CHEN Yijing,ZHANG Ming,et al.Analysis of Tongue Image Characteristic Parameters and Correlation Study in 200 Patients with Hypothyroidism[J].Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2025,66(21):2233-2238.
GUO Shanshan,CHEN Yijing,ZHANG Ming,et al.Analysis of Tongue Image Characteristic Parameters and Correlation Study in 200 Patients with Hypothyroidism[J].Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2025,66(21):2233-2238.DOI: 10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2025.21.010.
Analysis of Tongue Image Characteristic Parameters and Correlation Study in 200 Patients with Hypothyroidism增强出版
To analyze the objective characteristics of tongue images in patients with hypothyroidism and to explore the correlation between tongue features and hypothyroidism.
Methods
2
A cross-sectional study was conducted including 200 patients with hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism group) and 200 healthy participants (control group). Tongue images of both groups were captured using the Hyper-TCM tongue imaging system to observe the tongue body (tongue color, tongue shape, tough and tender) and tongue coating. The RGB (r: red, g: green, b: blue) and HSV (h: hue, s: saturation, v: value) color space components, texture feature parameter u, and shape feature parameters (c: tongue length-width ratio; l: number of tooth-mark points) were compared between groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between tongue features and hypothyroidism.
Results
2
In the hypothyroidism group, pale tongue (46 cases, 23.0%), dark red tongue (62 cases, 31.0%), slender tongue (52 cases, 26.0%), and tender tongue (117 cases, 58.5%) were more prevalent compared with the control group (
P
<0.05). Regarding quantitative tongue image parameters, the r value was higher (
P
<0.05), c value was lower (
P
<0.05), and l value was higher (
P
<0.05) in the hypothyroidism group than those in the control group. Logistic regression analysis showed that r was positively correlated with hypothyroidism (
β
=0.023,
P
=0.007,
OR
=1.024); c was negatively correlated (
β
=-2.277,
P
=0.001,
OR
=0.103), and l was positively correlated (
β
=0.095,
P
<0.001,
OR
=1.099).
Conclusion
2
The main tongue features of hypothyroid patients are pale or dark-red, enlarged tongue body with tooth marks on the edges, and, in some cases, a slender tongue; the paler or darker the tongue color, the clearer tooth marks, and the more enlarged the tongue body, the higher the likelihood of hypothyroidism.
LI Y , TENG D , BA J , et al . Efficacy and safety of long-term universal salt iodization on thyroid disorders: epidemiological evidence from 31 provinces of mainland China [J]. Thyroid , 2020 , 30 ( 4 ): 568 - 579 .
SHANG Y , MAO X , ZHAO Y , et al . Classification of tongue color based on convolution neural network [C]// International conference on bio-inspired computing: theories and applications . Singapore : Springer Singapore , 2020 : 326 - 335 .
CHEN Y , ZHANG H , DONG Z , et al . Spatial-spectral feature extraction of hyperspectral images for tongue diagnosis digitalization and classification [J]. Measurement , 2025 , 253 : 117525 . doi: 10.1016/j.measurement.2025. 117525 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2025.117525 .
Modified Wenshen Yixin Formula (温肾益心方加减) for Coronary Heart Disease Complicated with Hypothyroidism of Spleen-kidney Yang Deficiency:A Prospective Real-world Study of 51 Cases
HE Chengyao's Experience in Treating Recurrent Miscarriage Comorbid with Subclinical Hypothyroidism with the Method of Warming and Supplementing by Stages
ZHANG Junping's Experience in Treating Coronary Heart Disease Complicated with Hypothyroidism with Four Methods of Warming Yang
Needling at Acupoints of Hand and Foot Yangming (阳明) Channel for 30 Cases of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Construction of Diabetic Foot Risk Prediction Model based on Tongue Manifestation
Related Author
LI Aolin
YAN Zhipeng
LIAN Lu
ZHANG Qianqian
ZHANG Chi
ZHU Boyu
WEI Lei
YANG Zhihan
Related Institution
Graduate School of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine/National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine