Abstract

CORREIA, Tiago; SAMPAIO, M. João; ALMEIDA, Rui  and  GARRIDO, Cristina. Peripheral facial palsy - diagnosis, treatment and follow up. Nascer e Crescer [online]. 2010, vol.19, n.3, pp.155-160. ISSN 0872-0754.

Facial palsy (FP) is a common disorder in children. It is caused by an aggression to the seventh cranial nerve distally to its emergence from the pons. The best way to define FP is by its clinical manifestations: paralisis of the muscles of the ipsilateral side of the face with or without hyperacusis, decreased production of tears, and loss of taste at the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The most common medical causes are idiopathic FP, also known as Bell’s palsy (65%) and herpes zoster oticus (12%). In endemic areas, Lyme disease is also an important etiology. As this is a controversial subject, the authors present a review of the most recent literature and propose a protocol to guide diagnosis, treatment and follow up.

Keywords : Facial nerve palsy; Bell Palsy; Herpes Zoster oticus.

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