Etiology of Facial Paralysis
There are numerous causes of facial nerve paralysis (see table 1). The most common causes include Bell’s palsy, acoustic neuromas, trauma and parotid cancer.

Bell’s Palsy	* Herpes virus related * Must rule out other causes of Facial Paralysis
Trauma	* Cerebellopontine angle tumor: Acoustic Neuromas, meningioma * Parotid cancer: pleomorphic adenoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma * Head & neck tumors
Tumor	# Cerebellopontine angle tumor: Acoustic Neuromas, meningioma # Parotid cancer: pleomorphic adenoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma # Head & neck tumors
Metabolic	* Diabetes mellitus * Hyperthyroidism * Pregnancy * Hypertension * Vitamin A deficiency
Neurologic	* Opercular syndrome: cortical lesion in facial motor area * Millard-Gubler syndrome
Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome	* Recurrent Alternating FNP * Furrowed Tongue * Faciolabial Edema
Toxic	* Thalidomide * Ethylene glycol * Alcoholism * Arsenic intoxication * Tetanus * Diptheria
Congenital	* Dystrophia myotonica * Moebius syndrome * Hemifacial microsomia