Facial nerve palsy

Question 1

What does the facial nerve supply?

Answer 1

• muscles of facial expression
• nerve to stapedius (ear)
• anterior two-thirds of tongue
• lacrimal glands and salivary glands

Question 2

Causes of bilateral facial nerve palsy

Answer 2

• sarcoidosis
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Lyme disease
• bilateral acoustic neuromas (NF 2)
• sometimes bell’s palsy can be bilateral

Question 3

Causes of unilateral facial nerve palsy

Answer 3

Bell’s palsy
Ramsay-Hunt syndrome
acoustic neuroma
parotid tumour
HIV
multiple sclerosis
diabetes mellitus

Stroke (UMN palsy)

Question 4

Difference between UMN and LMN facial palsy

Answer 4

UMN lesion ‘spares’ forehead

LMN lesion affects all facial muscles

Question 5

3 branches of the facial nerve in the inner ear

Answer 5

1. greater petrosal nerve
2. nerve to stapedius
3. chorda tympani