DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i03.030

Pages: 960-963

The Facial nerve is the most common cranial nerve to be paralysed due to the fact that it has a long intracranial route, related to the ear and parotid gland and thus susceptible to injuries and infections. This study aims to describe the epidemiology and management of facial nerve palsy. A retrospective cohort review of patients that presented to ORL-HNS Department of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Nigeria from November 2008 to March 2015 was done. The age, sex, clinical presentations, duration of symptoms prior to presentation, aetiology/diagnosis, treatment and outcome were obtained. Twenty-six patients with age ranging from 1.7 to 83 years and a male: female ratio of 1.6:1 was analysed. Facial nerve palsy occurred more on the left (61.5%) and all unilateral. Otogenic aetiology accounted for 34.62% (9 Cases) followed by idiopathic (26.92%), 5 (19.23%) were due to Malignant parotid tumour, 3 (11.55%) due to temporal bone fracture, and a case (3.84%) due to iatrogenic trauma. The duration of facial nerve palsy before presentation ranged from 1 day to 1 year with a mean of 6.1months. All the patients had eye care, other modalities of treatment included one or a combination of antibiotics, steroids, physiotherapy, acyclovir and surgery. None had facial nerve decompression, repair or grafting done. Outcome was good in 4 cases (15.4%), satisfactory in 10 cases (38.5%) and unsatisfactory in 3 cases (11.5%), 9 cases (34.6%) were loss to follow up. Facial nerve from otogenic causes ranked highest in our environment. Late presentation and defaulting during treatment is still a challenge in our environment and affect the outcome of facial nerve palsy.