J Korean Pain Soc.  2001 Jun;14(1):93-97.

Changes of Infrared Thermographic Findings in Bilateral Bell's Palsy Treated with Stellate Ganglion Block: A case report

• Lee YW
• Jeong JY
• Kim HJ
• Shin YS

Abstract

Facial nerve palsy is not a serious disease, but it can be both upsetting and disabling for patients. More than half of the lesions of facial nerve palsy fall into the category termed Bell's palsy. It is very rare to find a representative case of bilateral Bell's palsy. Here we report the changes of infrared thermographic findings in bilateral Bell's palsy treated with a stellate ganglion block (SGB). A 45-year-old female patient who had a right facial palsy which developed 2 weeks before. Steroid administration and acupuncture was not effective and so she was referred to pain clinic. The right facial palsy was cured after 19th right SGB. Twenty eight days after the onset of the right facial palsy, left facial palsy also developed and cured completely with a left SGB. Serial infrared thermograms were performed. The hypothermias on the affected side improved symmetrically by the end of the treatment.

Keyword

Bilateral Bell's palsy; Infrared thermogram; Stellate ganglion block

MeSH Terms

Acupuncture
Bell Palsy*
Facial Nerve
Facial Paralysis
Female
Humans
Hypothermia
Middle Aged
Pain Clinics
Paralysis
Stellate Ganglion*