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Facial Paralysis and Surgery
Robert Sataloff, M.D., is Professor of otolaryngology, head and neck Surgery – Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; adjunct professor of otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. While facial paralysis is a common affliction, says the author, it is widely underevaluated and misdiagnosed. It usually affects one side of the face and results in an inability to close the eye and incompetence of the corner of the mouth. Bell's Palsy is the term used to describe facial paralysis for which the cause is undetermined, and is generally treated by electrical testing, high-dose steroids, or surgery. Among the causes of facial paralysis are infection and inflammation, metabolic and vascular problems, and exposure to toxins. Testing includes standard facial nerve electromyography and electroneuronography in facial paralysis. Among the associated conditions are the rare neurologic diseases – Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, sarcoidosis, and barotrauma in facial paralysis. Symptomatic treatment is important, says Dr. Sataloff, particularly eye protection. The lecture concludes with the advice that any physician encountering facial paralysis should instigate a thorough and comprehensive examination ... and not simply dismiss the condition as Bell's Palsy. Read More from Dr. Sataloff and the Journal of Voice. |
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