Objective: In order to provide an objective observational index for facial neuritis, the authors monitored the changes of facial far-infrared thermogram in patients with acute facial neuritis.
Methods: A total of 23 patients with acute facial neuritis were enrolled from Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Chinese PLA General Hospital. Another 21 healthy participants were selected as the control group. Focal plane thermal imaging system (thermal sensitivity 0.05 ℃) was applied to collect facial far-infrared thermogram. Temperature differences in the thermogram of both sides of the cheeks, inner canthus, supraorbitals and forehead of the same patient were compared separately and statistically and analyzed by software provided by the imaging system.
Results: Results of far-infrared thermography of the patients displayed obvious temperature differences ranging from 0.01 to 0.26 ℃ between two sides of the cheeks, inner canthus, supraorbitals and forehead areas. In the control group, far-infrared thermogram showed that there were no obvious temperature differences between two sides of the cheeks, inner canthus, supraorbitals and forehead. There were significant differences in temperature difference in the four monitoring areas between the two groups (P<0.01). Among the 23 patients, there were 14 patients with congestive change, 7 with ischemic change and 2 with both congestive and ischemic changes.
Conclusion: The facial far-infrared thermogram of patients with acute facial neuritis is characterized mainly by congestive changes. Far-infrared thermography can objectively reflect the changes of blood-supply status in patients with facial neuritis.

Key words: peripheral facial neuritis, facial paralysis, far-infrared thermography, head and facial region