Neurotological findings in Bell's palsy and Hunt's syndrome

Neurotological findings were analysed in 23 patients with Bell's palsy and in 25 patients with Hunt's syndrome. The incidence and extent of the auditory and vestibular pathology was high in Hunt's syndrome. Although patients had no subjective symptoms related to the auditory and/or vestibular pathology in the Bell's palsy cases, about one-third of the patients showed abnormal findings upon neurotological examination. Differentiating these two diseases is therefore considered difficult by means of neurotological examination in the same way as by serological testing as has been reported by other investigators.