Usefullness of Thermography in Migraine Diagnosis

ABSTRACT

Background: The reports from researchers present new imaging diagnosis, which makes it possible to observe the vascular change(temperature change) of face in migraine. However, we do not have enough study for thermography to find out migraine in Korea. thus, this study was performed in order to apply thermography to migraine patients. Methods: From November in 1989 to July in 1999, patients with headache who visited to Korea University Hospital Family Medicine were undertaken. Among them, 6 patients who were appropriated for the International Headache Society criteria for migraine were performed facial thermography. Results: Six patients who were appropriate for IHS criteria for migraine were undertaken in this study. When they had headache attack, we tested thermography. Asymmetry of heat loss on supraorbital and frontotemporal areas was not significantly different in three of them. The others showed the difference of heat loss more than 0.5 degrees C in supraorbital and frontotemporal areas. It was in headache side that heat loss was showed. Two of patients who showed heat loss were enable to follow up and one of them showed the disappearance of asymmetrical heat loss. Conclusions: As a result, facial thermograms demonstrated the significant differences in heat loss from the temple and orbits in migraine patients. We concluded thermography in migraine patients is suitable for clinical use