The etiology of Bell’s palsy: a review

Bell’s palsy is the most common condition involving a rapid and unilateral onset of peripheral paresis/paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve. It affects 11.5–53.3 per 100,000 individuals a year across different populations. Bell’s palsy is a health issue causing concern and has an extremely negativ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neurology 2020-07, Vol.267 (7), p.1896-1905
Main Authors: Zhang, Wenjuan, Xu, Lei, Luo, Tingting, Wu, Feng, Zhao, Bin, Li, Xianqi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bell Palsy - etiology
Bell's palsy
Cold Temperature - adverse effects
Diagnosis
Embolization
Etiology
Herpes viruses
Humans
Infections
Inflammation - complications
Ischemia
Ischemia - complications
Laboratories
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neurological disorders
Neurology
Neuroradiology
Neurosciences
Paralysis
Paresis
Review
Temporal Bone - anatomy & histology
Viral infections
Virus Diseases - complications
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Summary:Bell’s palsy is the most common condition involving a rapid and unilateral onset of peripheral paresis/paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve. It affects 11.5–53.3 per 100,000 individuals a year across different populations. Bell’s palsy is a health issue causing concern and has an extremely negative effect on both patients and their families. Therefore, diagnosis and prompt cause determination are key for early treatment. However, the etiology of Bell’s palsy is unclear, and this affects its treatment. Thus, it is critical to determine the causes of Bell’s palsy so that targeted treatment approaches can be developed and employed. This article reviews the literature on the diagnosis of Bell’s palsy and examines possible etiologies of the disorder. It also suggests that the diagnosis of idiopathic facial palsy is based on exclusion and is most often made based on five factors including anatomical structure, viral infection, ischemia, inflammation, and cold stimulation responsivity.
ISSN:0340-5354
1432-1459
DOI:10.1007/s00415-019-09282-4