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FACIAL (SEVENTH CRANIAL) NERVE PALSY |
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idiopathic: |
Bell's palsy (commonest cause) |
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infections: |
Ramsey-Hunt syndrome [herpes zoster of geniculate ganglion]Lyme disease leprosy otitis media |
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neurological disease: |
extensive lateral medullary syndrome (involving seventh nucleus)acoustic neuroma (late feature) |
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trauma to nerve: |
temporal bone fracture middle ear surgery parotid surgery |
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other / miscellaneous: |
sarcoidosis [uveoparotid fever = fever, iritis, parotitis and bilateral seventh nerve palsy]parotid gland tumour Guillain-Barre syndrome |
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neonatal: |
trauma during forceps delivery agenesis of seventh nerve nucleus (Moebius syndrome) |
NB: facial palsy (a lower motor neurone lesion) to be differentiated from facial weakness caused by upper motor neurone lesions (eg. cerebrovascular accident) or neuromuscular problems (eg. myotonic dystrophy, myasthenia gravis).
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