Electrodiagnosis and recovery of facial paralysis at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital
Kitisomprayoonkul, W.; Sirileartthananon, P.; Chaiwanichsiri, D.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 90(10): 2198-2203
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 18041442 Document Number: 2993
Objective. To study electrodiagnostic findings and recovery patterns of patients with facial nerve paralysis.Material and Method. Seventy-six medical records of patients who had a facial paralysis and had their electrodiagnosis performed in a 2-year period were reviewed Patients were invited for re-evaluation. The patients would be evaluated according to House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading Scale (HBFNGS), residual impairment, disability, emotional and social consequences.Results: Complete data were obtained from 50 patients whose mean age was 47.0 +/- 17.9 years. Seventy-two percent were diagnosed as Bell palsy. There was significant correlation between %CMAP amplitude and HBFNGS (grade I-VI) at r = 0.5; p <0.01. All cases of Bell palsy with CMAP amplitude >= 70% of normal side regained full recovery. Patients with CMAP amplitude >= 30% had good recovery. Bell palsy with CMAP amplitude < 10% and with other causes had poor outcome. Nine patients had synkinesis. Most of them were of traumatic cause and had severe nerve degeneration. No evidence showed that electrical stimulation was a factor inducing synkinesis.Conclusion: Percent CMAP amplitude could moderately predict the outcome of Bell palsy better than other causes of facial palsy. The paralysis from traumatic cause with low %CMAP amplitude had more chance to develop synkinesis.
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