What are the causes of facial nerve paralysis?
Facial nerve paralysis may be congenital or acquired. Acquired causes include infection (Bell’s Palsy), vascular lesions, tumours (acoustic neuroma, parotid gland or temporal bone tumour) or trauma (birth, temporal bone fracture). What are the symptoms? The paralysis usually affects one half of the face. Patients with facial nerve paralysis develop flattening of the affected half of the face with loss of forehead wrinkles, inability to whistle and dragged appearance of the opposite corner of the mouth. Eye symptoms include eyebrow drooping, elevation or retraction of the upper eyelid, sagging and ectropion (outward turning of the lid margin) of the lower eyelid, watering, lagophthalmos (inability to close the eye), and exposure keratopathy (drying of the cornea ). How is this condition managed? Many patients can be managed medically with lubricating eye drops and ointment using artificial tear preparations and taping the eyelids closed at bedtime. When is a surgical procedure required?
