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Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation
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Value of electrophysiological testing in unilateral facial palsy

Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation volume 45, pages 9–12 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

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 electro-neuronography (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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11799, Egypt

    Nagwa M. M. Nassar, Iman M. Ghanima, Eman A. Tawfik & Noha M. M. Shaker Al Alfi MSc

Authors
  1. Nagwa M. M. Nassar
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  2. Iman M. Ghanima
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  3. Eman A. Tawfik
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  4. Noha M. M. Shaker Al Alfi MSc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Noha M. M. Shaker Al Alfi MSc.

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Nassar, N.M.M., Ghanima, I.M., Tawfik, E.A. et al. Value of electrophysiological testing in unilateral facial palsy. Egypt Rheumatol Rehabil 45, 9–12 (2018). https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_9_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_9_17

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