Escalante et al reported prognostic factors for a patient with Bell's palsy. The authors are from Madigan Army Medical Center, Military Medical Center San Antonio, Uniformed Services University and Facial Plastic Surgery Associates (Fort Worth).
Patient selection: Bell's palsy
Mean time to recovery: 6 weeks
Almost all patients recover to House-Brackmann III or better.
Risk factors for worse House-Brackmann grade at recovery:
(1) House-Brackmann VI (25% return to HB I; 40% HB III)
(2) House-Brackmann V (17% HB III at recovery)
(3) greater degeneration on electroneuronography
A House-Brackmann grade from I to III tended to have good recovery.
Risk factors for synkinesis:
(1) House-Brackmann V or VI at presentation
Potential candidate for facial nerve decompression: > 90% degeneration on electroneurography and no motor unit potentials on voluntary electromyography
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
