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