Bell’s palsy is a relatively common disease characterized by the sudden onset of unilateral facial paralysis. Using a centralized system that contains demographic data, the authors estimated rates, trends, and demographic risk of Bell’s palsy during a 2-year period. There were 140 incident cases of Bell’s palsy among patients referring to private clinics (a total of 6500 patients). The crude in...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to review the recipient vessels used in our cases of facial reanimation with free functional muscle transfer and to identify patient variables that may predict when the facial vessels are absent. From this we present a protocol for vessel selection in cases when the facial artery and/or vein are absent. METHODS Patients were identified from November 2006 t...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Facial palsy manifests a broad array of deficits affecting function, form, and psychological well-being. Assessment scales were introduced to standardize and document the features of facial palsy and to facilitate the exchange of information and comparison of outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine which assessment methodologies are currently employed by those inv...

F acial nerve palsy causes lagophtalmia of the upper lid (Fig. 1). In addition to being an esthetic deformity, it may lead to recurrent keratitis, keukoma, conjunctivitis, and even blindness. In facial palsy, overaction of the levator palpebrae muscle is present. Closure of the eye and downward movement of the lid can be achieved by adding weight to the upper lid. This article describes a techn...

A 51-year-old woman with breast cancer presented with progressive diplopia. Neuro-ophthalmologic examination revealed right gaze palsy and peripheral facial nerve palsy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal. However, two months later a repeat brain MRI revealed an enhancing round nodular mass at the right facial colliculus of the lower pons, at the location of the abducens nucleus....

Each year in the UK, around 1 in 5,000 people develop Bell’s palsy, which is characterised by unilateral facial weakness of rapid onset (Rowlands 2002,Holland 2004). The condition can develop at any age, but seems to be most common in those aged between 15 and 60 years (Peitersen 1982). In about 71% of patients, it resolves spontaneously without treatment, but 13% are left with slight facial we...

Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome (MRS) is a rare otoneurologic condition, which is poorly understood and often underdiagnosed. Etiology and incidence are unclear, although infectious, inflammatory, and genetic causes have been implicated. Recurrent facial nerve palsy, facial swelling, and fissured tongue are the symptoms and signs of this condition. However, this triad is not typical in all patien...

Neurological complications are important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. They can occur at any stage of the disease and can affect any level of the central or peripheral nervous systems. In the literature, several cases of HIV-associated facial paralysis have been reported; however, bilateral facial palsy is rarely reported. In th...

Blunt trauma causing facial nerve palsy and facial nerve trauma due to seat belt injury is rarely reported. We describe a 63 year old female who was involved in a road traffic accident without any imaging evidence of temporal bone fracture developing left facial nerve palsy on the second day. We discuss the pathophysiology of this condition and the need to be aware of this unusual complication ...

The time course of electrical reactions in this condition varied much from that after section of the facial nerve or after Bell's palsy. It was at least a week before denervation could be suspected in the latter conditions by electrodiagnostic methods. In post-traumatic delayed facial palsy we have demonstrated electrical reactions showing denervation at the time of palsy or even a few days bef...