[Contralateral reinnervation in peripheral facial paralysis]

Neurological and EMG studies were performed on 17 patients with peripheral facial palsy in order to investigate the possibility of reinnervation of the palsied mimic muscles close to the middle facial line by outgrown fibres from the contralateral intact facial nerve. The patients were aged between 10 and 77 years (middle age 38 years) with duration of the facial palsy from 2 month to 30 years. In eight patients there were data about double reinnervation - both by the ipsilateral lesioned nerve and by the contralateral intact facial nerve. In contrast to the statement of other authors that the age of the patients and the duration of the disease, its severity or the way of occurrence of facial palsy--acute or chronic, are of importance to the development of contralateral reinnervation, our data do not suggest such a role for these factors.