Yonsei Med J.  2008 Oct;49(5):725-734. 10.3349/ymj.2008.49.5.725.

Comparison of Facial Nerve Paralysis in Adults and Children

• Cha CI
• Hong CK
• Park MS
• Yeo SG

• KMID: 2158190
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2008.49.5.725

Abstract

PURPOSE
Facial nerve injury can occur in the regions ranging from the cerebral cortex to the motor end plate in the face, and from many causes including trauma, viral infection, and idiopathic factors. Facial nerve paralysis in children, however, may differ from that in adults. We, therefore, evaluated its etiology and recovery rate in children and adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the records of 975 patients, ranging in age from 0 to 88 years, who displayed facial palsy at Kyung Hee Medical Center between January 1986 and July 2005. RESULTS: The most frequent causes of facial palsy in adults were Bell's palsy (54.9%), infection (26.8%), trauma (5.9%), iatrogenic (2.0%), and tumors (1.8%), whereas the most frequent causes of facial palsy in children were Bell's palsy (66.2%), infection (14.6%), trauma (13.4%), birth trauma (3.2%), and leukemia (1.3%). Recovery rates in adults were 91.4% for Bell's palsy, 89.0% for infection, and 64.3% for trauma, whereas recovery rates in children were 93.1% for Bell's palsy, 90.9% for infection, and 42.9% for trauma. CONCLUSION: These results show that causes of facial palsy are similar in adults and children, and recovery rates in adults and children are not significantly different.

Keyword

Facial palsy; adult; children; causes; recovery

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Child
Child, Preschool
Facial Paralysis/*etiology/*rehabilitation/therapy
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Middle Aged
Recovery of Function
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Outcome

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Number of patients, distributed by age.

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  Fig. 2 Percentage of recovered patients according to age.

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  Fig. 3 Percentage of patients who recovered from Bell's palsy, infectious causes and herpes zoster oticus according to age.

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