What is Bell’s Palsy?
It is an ipsilateral Cranial Nerve VII (lower motor neurone) palsy. There is usually a sudden onset of facial weakness, that progressively worsens over 48 hours. The diagnosis itself, is one of exclusion.
CASE
A 60 yo male presents to the emergency department, with a 2 day history of progressive right facial weakness. It started suddenly on the right side of his face and over the last two days has progressed, so that he cannot raise his eyebrow and his mouth is drooping. He also complains of pain in the right ear. He is having difficulty closing the eyelid of his affected side and food is getting caught in his mouth, because he cannot chew properly.
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Published on: 20/04/2024