Facial paralysis: Clinical practice guideline of the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology

Variations in the treatment of acute peripheral facial paralysis. A nationwide survey

BACKGROUND

Acute peripheral facial paralysis may be diagnosed and treated by different specialists.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the variability in the treatment of Bell's palsy (BP) and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS) among different medical specialties.

METHODS

An anonymous nationwide online survey was distributed among the Spanish Societies of Otorhinolaryngology (ORL), Neurology (NRL) and Family and Community Medicine (GP).

RESULTS

1039 responses were obtained. 98% agreed on using corticosteroids, ORL using higher doses than NRL and GP. Among all, only 13% prescribed antivirals in BP routinely, while 31% prescribed them occasionally. The percentage of specialists not using antivirals for RHS was 5% of ORL, 11% of NRL, and 23% of GP (GP vs. NRL p = 0.001; GP vs. ORL p < 0.0001; NRL vs. ORL p = 0,002). 99% recommended eye care. Exercises as chewing gum or blowing balloons were prescribed by 45% of the participants with statistically significant differences among the three specialties (GP vs. NRL p = 0.021; GP vs. ORL p < 0.0001; NRL vs. ORL p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

There is general agreement in the use of corticosteroids and recommending eye care as part of the treatment of acute peripheral facial paralysis. Yet, there are discrepancies in corticosteroids dosage, use of antivirals and recommendation of facial exercises among specialties.

El posible papel de la irritación del nervio trigémino en la fisiopatología de la parálisis de Bell. Un reporte de caso desde la Terapia Neural

Resumen Introducción. La parálisis de Bell o parálisis facial periférica es una lesión nerviosa que afecta la función motora y sensorial del nervio facial y se presenta de forma súbita con afectación de la mímica facial. Es una neuropatía que representa un riesgo anátomo-funcional del nervio facial. El presente reporte de caso tiene como objetivo presentar, desde la perspectiva neuralterapéutica, una posible hipótesis soportada por las leyes descritas por el nervismo acerca de la patogénesis de la parálisis de Bell. Presentación de caso. Mujer de 32 años procedente de Brasil, quien presentó parálisis facial de grado III en la parte derecha. Luego de 10 días de evolución sin respuesta al tratamiento, decidió acudir a Terapia Neural. Previo análisis cronológico de la historia de vida con enfoque neuralterapéutico, se apreció una afectación distrófica del nervio trigémino dado por focos odontológicos irritativos, los cuales fueron tratados, obteniendo una mejoría clínica a grado I. Conclusiones. La conexión neuroanatómica entre el nervio facial y el trigémino posibilita la hipótesis etiológica de la parálisis de Bell. Este caso muestra el papel terapéutico que desempeñaron la Terapia Neural y la odontología en la resolución de una parálisis de Bell al abordar las irritaciones del nervio trigémino.

Retrospective study of peripheral facial paralysis in a tertiary hospital over 3 years

PURPOSE

To identify clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP) at a tertiary care hospital.

METHOD

This is a retrospective observational study of patients with PFP treated at a tertiary medical center. We gathered demographic data, etiology, laterality, recurrence, recovery, clinical ophthalmology, severity according to the House-Brackmann (HB) scale, electrophysiological tests, medical services attended, medical and surgical treatment.

RESULTS

Two hundred and eighty-three PFP were included, 135 (48%) were men and 148 (52%) were women p = 0.47). All patients had unilateral involvement. The mean age was 54 ± 20 years. The main etiology was idiopathic in 215 (76%) patients. Median recovery time was 7 weeks. Recovery was complete in 190 (67%) patients. One hundred and seventy (84%) patients with idiopathic PFP had complete recovery, versus 30 (16%) patients with non-idiopathic PFP (p < 0.01). The 84% of patients with HB grade II, recovered completely, while with HB grade VI only 17% recovered (p = 0.003). Two hundred and twenty-nine patients (81%) had lagophthalmos. The majority received ocular surface care treatment in 271 (96%) patients and of these 249 (88%) patients received oral corticosteroid therapy. Thirteen patients (5%) required ophthalmologic surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

PFP affects all age ranges, without predilection for sex and unilateral. Its main cause is idiopathic. Recovery is complete in most cases, being more favorable in mild and idiopathic affections. Most only require medical treatment.

Electroacupuncture combined with Qianzhengsan decoction for the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis: A retrospective study

This study retrospectively explored the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with Qianzhengsan decoction (QZSD) for the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis (PFP). This retrospective study included patients with PFP admitted to a single hospital between July 2018 and June 2020. Ninety patients were included and divided into treatment (n = 45) and control (n = 45) groups. All the patients in both groups received oral prednisone tablets and mecobalamin. In addition, patients in the treatment group received EA and QZSD. The outcomes were the overall response rate, facial nerve function, facial nerve electromyography, and adverse events. All outcome data were analyzed before and after treatment. Patients in the treatment group achieved better outcomes than those in the control group in improving overall response rate (P = .04), facial nerve function (P < .01), and facial nerve electromyography (P < .01). Patients in both groups reported adverse events. The results of this study showed that patients with PFP and QZSD received better outcomes than those who did not. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

A Comprehensive Approach to Facial Reanimation: A Systematic Review

Purpose: To create a systematic overview of the available reconstructive techniques, facial nerve grading scales, physical evaluation, the reversibility of paralysis, non-reconstructive procedures and medical therapy, physical therapy, the psychological aspect of facial paralysis, and the prevention of facial nerve injury in order to elucidate the gaps in the knowledge and discuss potential research aims in this area. A further aim was to propose an algorithm simplifying the selection of reconstructive strategies, given the variety of available reconstructive methods and the abundance of factors influencing the selection. Methodological approach: A total of 2439 papers were retrieved from the Medline/Pubmed and Cochrane databases and Google Scholar. Additional research added 21 articles. The primary selection had no limitations regarding the publication date. We considered only papers written in English. Single-case reports were excluded. Screening for duplicates and their removal resulted in a total of 1980 articles. Subsequently, we excluded 778 articles due to the language and study design. The titles or abstracts of 1068 articles were screened, and 134 papers not meeting any exclusion criterion were obtained. After a full-text evaluation, we excluded 15 papers due to the lack of information on preoperative facial nerve function and the follow-up period. This led to the inclusion of 119 articles. Conclusions: A thorough clinical examination supported by advanced imaging modalities and electromyographic examination provides sufficient information to determine the cause of facial palsy. Considering the abundance of facial nerve grading scales, there is an evident need for clear guidelines regarding which scale is recommended, as well as when the postoperative evaluation should be carried out. Static procedures allow the restoral of facial symmetry at rest, whereas dynamic reanimation aims to restore facial movement. The modern approach to facial paralysis involves neurotization procedures (nerve transfers and cross-facial nerve grafts), muscle transpositions, and microsurgical free muscle transfers. Rehabilitation provides patients with the possibility of effectively controlling their symptoms and improving their facial function, even in cases of longstanding paresis. Considering the mental health problems and significant social impediments, more attention should be devoted to the role of psychological interventions. Given that each technique has its advantages and pitfalls, the selection of the treatment approach should be individualized in the case of each patient.

Newly Prepared 129Xe Nanoprobe-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Evaluate the Efficacy of Acupuncture on Intractable Peripheral Facial Paralysis

This study focused on the application value of the newly prepared 129Xe nanoprobe-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in exploring the mechanism of the acupuncture treatment for intractable facial paralysis, expected to provide a theoretical reference for the mechanism of acupuncture for the treatment of facial paralysis. In this study, 30 patients with intractable peripheral facial paralysis (experimental group) and 30 healthy volunteers (control group) were selected. All patients were scanned by the newly prepared 129Xe nanoprobe-based fMRI technology, and then brain functional status data and rating data were collected. fMRI scanning results showed that multiple brain regions were activated in the experimental group before treatment, among which the central posterior brain, insula, and thalamus were positively activated, while the precuneus, superior frontal gyrus, and other parts showed signal reduction. After treatment, several brain regions also showed signal enhancement. Comparisons within the healthy control group also showed activation in multiple brain regions, including the lenticular nucleus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus, while in the experimental group, no signal changes were detected in these brain regions. At the same time, comparison of fMRI images of patients with intractable peripheral facial paralysis before and after treatment showed that the cerebellar amygdala, superior frontal gyrus, cerebellar mountaintop, and other brain areas were activated, and all showed positive activation. After treatment, the average House–Brackmann (H-B) and Sunnybrook scores of the experimental group were 3.82 and 51, respectively, and the change was significant compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the newly prepared 129Xe nanoprobe-based fMRI scan can reflect the functional changes of cerebral cortex after acupuncture. The acupuncture treatment may achieve its therapeutic effect by promoting the functional reorganization of the cerebral cortex in the treatment of intractable facial paralysis.

Clinical-radiological Correlation in Temporal Bone Fractures

INTRODUCTION

The diagnosis of temporal bone fractures (TBF) is based on radiological imaging. The most widely used classification divides fractures into longitudinal, transverse, and mixed. In recent years, other classifications have emerged to better predict clinical manifestations.

OBJECTIVES

To review computed tomography (CT) images of TBF, define their radiological pattern, and study the concordance of the observed findings with those described in the radiological report. To analyse the association between fracture types and clinical findings. To study the impact of mastoid pneumatization on fracture characteristics.

METHODS

Retrospective study of 110 TBF diagnosed with CT between January 2016 and May 2019.

RESULTS

Fifty-two transverse (47%), 34 longitudinal (30%), and 19 mixed fractures (17%) were identified with good interobserver agreement (k = .637). Longitudinal fractures were associated with conductive hearing loss (P < .001) and transverse fractures with sensorineural hearing loss (P = .005). Of the fractures, 8.2% showed involvement of the otic capsule, and were associated with sensorineural hearing loss (P < .001), facial paralysis (P = .019) and vertigo (P= .035). Fractures were more frequent in cases of greater pneumatization, and the involvement of the otic capsule in cases of very good pneumatization (P = .024).

CONCLUSIONS

The traditional classification of TBF is reproducible. Its association with clinical findings improves when the involvement of the otic capsule is also analysed. Mastoid pneumatization is not a protective factor for TBF or for involvement of the otic capsule.

Contralateral orbicularis oculi muscle transposition in facial paralysis: functional, aesthetic and electromyographic outcomes. A case report and literature update

Purpose: Many surgical approaches have been described for achieving satisfactory functionality in patients with facial paralysis, to ensure the protection of the cornea and the highest degree of physiological blinking. Out of all those available, dynamic techniques are indicated when motion recovery and synchrony are the goals pursued. Orbicularis oculi transposition (OOT) allows a genuine restoration of blinking by means of contralateral reinnervation, with minimal insult for the donor site.Methods: We present the case of a 64-year-old man with unilateral facial paralysis. A physical examination revealed a lagophthalmos of more than 5 mm. A neurophysiological study showed a mild-to-moderate axonal injury of the left facial nerve. Contralateral OOT was indicated as the first therapy option since it can restore involuntary blinking. The orbicularis muscle flap was not divided into branches, as described previously by other authors; the whole flap was transposed to the paralysed upper eyelid to achieve the highest level of potential reinnervation.Results: Lagophthalmos was fully corrected after the surgery. The patient reported subjective improvement of symptoms, less frequent instillation of artificial tear drops and, especially, synchronous blinking with significant improvement in involuntarity. These improvements were maintained after 1 year of follow-up. Postoperative electromyographic studies confirmed the improvement in neural function.Conclusions: OOT can be a safe and effective option for the treatment of patients with peripheral facial paralysis, as it achieves a good restoration of blinking function with minimal morbidity in the healthy donor eye.

The Experience of a Facial Nerve Unit in the Treatment of Patients With Facial Paralysis Following Skull Base Surgery

: The management of facial paralysis following skull base surgery is complex and requires multidisciplinary intervention. This review shows the experience of a facial nerve (FN) unit in a tertiary university referral center. A multidisciplinary approach has led to the breaking of some old treatment paradigms. An overview of five FN scenarios is presented. For each setting a contemporary approach is proposed in contrast to the established approach. 1) For patients with an anatomically preserved FN with no electrical response at the end of surgery for vestibular schwannoma, watchful waiting is usually advocated. In these cases, reinforcement with an interposed nerve graft is recommended. 2) In cases of epineural FN repair, with or without grafting, and a poor expected prognosis, an additional masseter-to-facial transfer is recommended. 3) FN transfer, mainly hypoglossal-to-facial and masseter-to facial, are usually chosen based on the surgeons' preference. The choice should be based on clinical factors. A combination of techniques improves the outcome in selected patients. 4) FN reconstruction following malignant tumors requires a combination of parotid and temporal bone surgery, involving different specialists. This collaboration is not always consistent. Exposure of the mastoid FN is recommended for lesions involving the stylomastoid foramen, as well as intraoperative FN reconstruction. 5) In patients with incomplete facial paralysis and a skull base tumor requiring additional surgery, consider an alternative reinnervation procedure, "take the FN out of the equation" before tumor resection. In summary, to achieve the best results in complex cases of facial paralysis, a multidisciplinary approach is recommended.