A pilot study on the relationship between tongue manifestation and the degree of neurological impairment in patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Objective: To discuss the relationship between tongue manifestation and the degree of neurological impairment in the patients with acute cerebral infarction.
Methods: Two hundred patients with first unilateral cerebral infarction were recruited. The relationship between different tongue manifestation and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were analyzed.
Results: NIHSS scores in the patients from different tongue color groups were analyzed and further analysis demonstrated that the NIHSS score was higher in the patients with red or bluish-purple tongue than that of those with the pink (P <0.01). On tongue fur, the NIHSS score in the patients with thick fur was higher than that of those with the thin (P=0.003). NIHSS score in patients with slippery, moist or dry fur was significant different (P=0.003), Further analysis demonstrated that the NIHSS score was higher in the patients with dry fur than that of those with moist fur, and had statistical significance (P=0.01). The NIHSS score was higher in patients from greasy fur group than that of the non-greasy (P=0.002). There was significant difference of NHISS score in the patients with different fur color (P=0.000), and further analysis demonstrated that the NHISS score in white-yellow, yellow fur group were higher than that of the white (P=0.06 or 0.000).
Conclusion: The changes of tongue manifestation might be associated with the degree of neurological impairment in the patients with acute cerebral infarction.