Muscles of facial expression
Mary Miller in Nursing & Health Survival Guide: Dental Nursing, 2014
Bell's Palsy affects the seventh cranial nerve (facial nerve).
Correlation between the incidence and severity of Bell's palsy and seasonal variations in Taiwan
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2013
Ru-Lan Hsieh, Ling-Yi Wang, Wen-Chung Lee
Objective: To investigate possible correlations between the incidence and severity of Bell's palsy and seasonal variations in Taiwan. Methods: We studied data on the incidence of Bell's palsy over a 3-year period in Taiwan. The electroneurographic quotient was used as an index for the severity of nerve involvement. A higher electroneurographic quotient indicates less severe disease. Results: Data were collected from 775 patients. We analyzed the data using the chi-square goodness-of-fit test, and the results showed that seasonality was significantly associated with the incidence of Bell's palsy among men, with the incidence increasing during the cold months (p = 0.012). A significant association was evident between age and incidence, with a higher incidence among patients aged 50 years or younger (p = 0.027). By contrast, no significant relationship was found between seasonality and either female sex or older age. No statistical association was found between the degree of nerve involvement and season of onset in patients with Bell's palsy. Conclusion: Bell's palsy increased among men and among younger patients during the cold seasons in Taiwan. No association emerged between the severity of Bell's palsy and the season of onset.
Stellate ganglion block promotes recovery of Bell's palsy in patients with diabetes mellitus
Published in Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 2014
Conclusion: Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is effective for treatment of Bell's palsy in patients with diabetes mellitus. Background: Corticosteroids are widely used for treatment of Bell's palsy in patients with diabetes mellitus but may induce complications like hyperglycemia, which calls for an alternative therapy. This study aimed to ascertain the effect of SGB on Bell's palsy in patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: This randomized and single-blinded clinical trial involved 96 diabetic patients with Bell's palsy that were randomly divided into a control group (n = 48) and a treatment group (SGB group, n = 48). The House-Brackmann scale and facial disability index (FDI, including FDIP and FDIS) were observed before treatment and at 1 and 3 months after treatment for assessment of the outcome. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups before treatment as regards the House-Brackmann scale and FDI. There was a statistically significant difference in FDIP score in the two groups after treatment in comparison with before treatment. The FDIS score showed a statistical difference between the two groups after treatment.
Familial Bell's Palsy in Females: A Phenotype with a Predilection for Eyelids and Lacrimal Gland
Published in Orbit, 2005
Farhan H. Zaidi, Kevin Gregory-Evans, James F. Acheson, Veronica Ferguson
The authors report a family with familial Bell's palsy affecting seven individuals, six of whom are females. This is a distinct subtype of Bell's palsy with a predilection for juvenile females, previously reported only very rarely. In conjunction with a review of the literature, this case suggests that this phenotype carries with it a greater risk of serious complications affecting the eyelids and lacrimal gland. These carry significant functional and cosmetic implications owing to aberrant regeneration of the seventh, sixth and possibly third cranial nerves, chronicity and relapses. Clinical features include synkinesis of the eyelids with the orbicularis oris causing synkinetic ptosis, recurrent paralytic ectropion, paralysis of facial muscles of expression with dry eye, hyperlacrimation (crocodile tears), and transient strabismus. Clinically, the decision to offer surgery in place of conservative treatment should consider the natural history of chronicity and relapses often seen with this subtype of familial Bell's palsy. Botulinum toxin injections are especially versatile in managing the complications associated with this phenotype.
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