Bell’s Palsy : Aetiology, Classification, Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Consideration : A Review

Bell’s palsy (spontaneous idiopathic facial paralysis), which is the most common facial nerve disease, has a sudden onset. Bell’s palsy is the most common cause of facial paralysis, accounting for 70 per cent of facial palsies, when other causes have been eliminated. It has an incidence of 1140 per 100,000 per year, and most commonly occurs in females in their teens and twenties. The distribution is almost equal in the thirties, with a slight predominance in males over 40.The annual incidence of Bell’s palsy in the Western world is approximately 20/l 00 000. Untreated Bell’s palsy leaves some patients with major facial dysfunction and a reduced quality of life.It is essential to rule out other causes of facial paralysis before making definitive diagnosis, which implies the intervention. Bell’s palsy has been termed a diagnosis of exclusion. This review emphasizes the etiology, diagnosis and management of patients with Bell’s palsy. (Garg KN, Gupta K, Singh S, Chaudhary S. Bell’s Palsy : Aetiology, Classification, Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Consideration : A Review. www.journalofdentofacialsciences.com, 2012; 1(1): 1-8)