Tympanic temperature, thought to reflect the flow in the ipsilateral internal carotid artery, and reflect brain temperature, is commonly measured using tympanic thermometers. We investigated the stability of tympanic thermometers in four contorol subjects and found there was no significant right-left difference in tympanic temperature nor significant correlation between tympanic and axillary temperatures. There was also no significant difference in the stability of tympanic and axillary temperatures. Next, we investigated tympanic temperatures in pathorogical cases by mesuring the tympanic temperatures in 11 patients with Bell's palsy and found there was no significant difference in tympanic temperatures between the affected and unaffected sides, suggesting that Bell's palsy is not caused by a disorder of internal carotid artery as indicated by tympanic thermometer findings. Finally, we conclude that tympanic thermometer is useful for mesuring body temperature.
