Peripheral Facial Palsy: A Clinical Material

Abstract

An unselected patient material of peripheral facial palsy from a known population group is presented. Out of 168 cases 144 (86%) were diagnosed as ischemic palsies of Bell's type. Bell's palsy strikes most patients in the beginning of middle-age and there is no difference in the frequency between men and women. Regardless of whether conservative or suraical therapy is initially used. an improved diannosis using electro-physiological recordings ought to be strived for. Conservative therapy with Rheoma-crodex®—a colloid osmotic hypertonic dextran solution with anti-sludge effect—and histamine intravenously has not proven to be better than using only vasodilators. Patients having an objectively provable axon-injury ought to be operated on within 2 weeks in accordance with experience recounted in an additional article (Lagerholm et al., 1971).