Value of electrophysiological testing in unilateral facial palsy

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the value of facial nerve temporal recording in the diagnosis and prognosis of facial nerve palsy. Patients and methods The study was conducted on 42 patients with acute unilateral Bell’s palsy (patients’ group) and 43 healthy volunteers who served as a control group. All patients and controls were subjected to clinical examination in the form of history taking and full general and neurological examinations, clinical scoring system using House–Brackmann facial nerve grading system (performed for the patients’ group only), electrophysiological assessment, which included electroneuronography (ENoG) and facial nerve temporal recording. Results The amplitude of the facial nerve temporal recording was significantly lower in the patients’ group compared with that in the control group, and there was statistically significant increase of the amplitude of facial nerve temporal recording, regaining its normal triphasic waves; as regards correlation study between the percent of degeneration of ENoG and the amplitude of the diseased facial temporal recording, there was positive correlation between them, and it was not reaching the level of statistical significance. Conclusion Facial nerve temporal recording detects the degenerative changes that occur in the intratemporal segment of the facial nerve; hence, it should be considered as a complementary tool for the ENoG test for early diagnosis and follow-up of Bell’s palsy.