Clinical study of unilateral peripheral facial nerve paralysis in Nigerians

The clinical feature of isolated unilateral peripheral facial nerve paralysis (PFP), seen in 153 consecutive Nigerians over a 14-year period at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, are presented. The hospital incidence rate was 2.67 per 10,000 with a mean annual rate of 11 per 100,000. Although males (61%) were more frequently affected than females (39%), the peak incidence for both sexes was in the third decade, and 53% of the cases were between 20 years old and 39 years old. Bell's palsy (ninety-three cases) was the most common type encountered. Hypertension (eleven cases) was associated with PFP only in patients above 50 years old. Herpes zoster infection (six cases) and otogenous (eight patients) were not uncommon. Although conjunctivitis (8%) was the most frequent complication, post-paralytic motor features in the form of synkinesia (eight cases), hemispasmas or contractures, and autonomic disturbances such as the crocodile-tear phenomenon (three cases) and auriculo-temporal syndrome (one case) were rare.