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Bell Palsy, Pediatric

Stephen J. Falchek, MD Reviewed 10/2018
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • This paralysis may involve all of the modalities affected by the 7th cranial nerve:

    • Mimetic facial movement

    • Taste

    • Cutaneous sensation

    • Hearing acuity

    • Lacrimation

    • Salivation

  • The most importan...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Mastoid or retroauricular pain ipsilateral to the side of developing symptoms (40–50% of patients)

  • 50% of patients will have no clear sensory prodrome.

  • Bell palsy often follows some ide...

TREATMENT

Identifying treatable causes of 7th nerve palsy (e.g., Lyme borreliosis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome) is crucial for optimizing outcome and preventing comorbidities of these illnesses. 

GENERAL MEASURES

ONGOING CARE

DIET

There are no dietary restrictions that affect the outcome of Bell palsy. 

PATIENT EDUCATION

Minimizing risk for injury to the cornea ipsilateral to the facial palsy may require either r...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Baugh RF, Basura GJ, Ishii LE, et al. Clinical practice guideline: Bell’s palsy. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.  2013;149(Suppl 3):S1–S27. [View Abstract on OvidInsights]

  • Gronseth ...

CODES

ICD9

  • 351.0 Bell’s palsy

  • 351.0 Bell’s palsy

ICD10

G51.0 Bell’s palsy 

SNOMED

193093009 Bell’s palsy (disorder) 

FAQ

  • Q: How does one differentiate between peripheral facial nerve palsy and a CNS lesion?

  • A: A critical step in diagnosis is the differentiation of peripheral from central (upper motor neuron) lesions....

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