Most traumatic facial palsies resolve with conservative management. Early facial nerve decompression is indicated in acute complete traumatic facial palsies. House–Brackmann (HB) classification is used universally to classify the severity of the facial nerve injury, but few centres have availability of all the electrophysiology studies required to stratify the injuries. Treatment varies from ‘wait and see’ to medical treatment to facial nerve decompression. The systematic review highlights the extreme heterogeneity of diagnostic tools and available treatment strategies. The authors suggest prioritising patient stratification based on demographic factors and using standardised assessment tools as well as follow-up periods in future research. A consensus with management algorithms will help optimise management of traumatic facial nerve injuries.
Management of traumatic facial palsy
Reviewed by Gauri Mankekar
Therapeutic management of traumatic facial palsy: a systematic review.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gauri Mankekar
Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
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