Abstract
The clinical data and thermographic imaging were analyzed on the 100 cases of Bell's palsy who were treated in the Kwang-Ju Oriental Medical Hospita! of Wonkwang University from February to October 1997. All the cases were taken Digital Infrared Thermograph Imaging(DITI) before treatment and 30 cases of them were taken follow up imaging again after recovery. And the following results were obtained. 1. Of 100 cases, under teenager occupied $1\%,\;teenager\;8\%,\;2nd\;decade\;14\%,\;3rd\;decade\;11\%,\;4th\;decade\;16\%,\;5th\;decade\;26\%,\;6th\;decade\;16\%,\;7th\;decade\;7\%\;and\;over\;80\;occupied\;1\%$. 2. Male occupied $48\%$ and female occupied $52\%$. 3. $42\%\;of\;male\;and\;23\%$ of female had the affected side at left side. And right facial nerve palsy occured at $29\%\;of\;male\;and\;29\%$ of female. 4. The most common cause of Bell's palsy was cold wind $18\%$, and the next were excessive labor $15\%,\;stress\;12\%,drinking\;2\%\;and\;cold\;food\;1\%$. 5. Thermal pattern were present as hyperthermal pattern in $44\%$ and hypothermal pattern in $22\%$. 6. The DITI showed hyperthermal pattern as close as to the onset day and changes to hypothermal pattern as times passed. 7. The DITI pattern and post-auricular pain, the most common prodomal syndrome, showed no significant relationship. 8. The relationship between the grade of paralysis and thermal patttern of DITI showed no significance. 9. Mean temperature of loci in affected side indicrtted $30.27^{\circ}C\;at\;Yang\;baek,\;30.02^{\circ}C\;at\;Taeyang,\;29.25^{\circ}C\;at\;Geoyo,\;29.62^{\circ}C\;at\;Jichang,\;29.78^{\circ}C\;at\;Hakwan,\;29.61^{\circ}C\;at\;Hyupgeo,\;and\;30.59^{\circ}C$at Yeopoong. 10. Mean temperature of loci in unaffected side showed $30.16^{\circ}C\;at\;Yang\;baek,\;30.02^{\circ}C\;at\;Taeyang,\;29.61^{\circ}C\;at\;Geoyo,\;29.68^{\circ}C\;at\;Jichang,\;29.70^{\circ}C\;at\;Hakwan,\;29.57^{\circ}C\;at\;Hyupgeo,\;and\;29.89^{\circ}C$at Yeopoong. 11. Of 30 cases who were taken follow up imaging again after recovery, the relationship between delta T at loci and symptoms showed no significance. It should be needed further investigation in order to apply them for clinical evaluation.
