Current considerations in the management of facial nerve palsy.

Overview

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Facial nerve palsy is a potentially devastating condition that can arise from many different causes. Appropriate management is complicated by the wide spectrum of clinical presentation and disease severity that characterizes this condition. As such, recent studies have focused on augmenting our understanding of the underlying anatomy and pathophysiology of facial nerve palsy, while also exploring different treatment options. RECENT FINDINGS: There have been a multitude of radiologic investigations that have delineated anatomical considerations pertinent to facial neuropathy, whereas various grading schemes and software programs have been developed to facilitate the clinical assessment of patients. Furthermore, a wide variety of medical and surgical treatment options have been proposed - whereas some are variants of previously described methods, others represent novel approaches. SUMMARY: Appropriate management of facial nerve palsy is dependent on a multitude of factors and must be tailored to patients on an individual basis. The studies summarized in this article highlight the recent advancements geared toward refining the assessment and treatment of patients with facial neuropathy.