Acute peripheral facial nerve palsy in children

Key words: Facial nerve palsy, Children, Borrelia, Steroid, Eye care

Acute peripheral facial nerve palsy in children has an incidence of 20 new cases per 100,000 children/year. The diagnosis is essentially clinical. The etiology of the condition remains unknown in most cases. Useful blood tests are full blood count and Borrelia serology. Radiological imaging should not be performed at first in all children with acute peripheral facial nerve paralysis. Particular attention should be paid to the eye care, in consideration of the inability to close the eye. Steroid therapy reduces the risk of incomplete neurological recovery and the risk of the onset of synkinesis. Evidence does not support the routinary use of antiviral therapy. The prognosis of acute peripheral nerve palsy is excellent, irrespective of pharmacological therapy.