Snapshot A 33-year-old man presents to the emergency department for slurred speech. His symptoms began a few hours prior to presentation and it has progressively worsened. He reports to having difficulty with closing his right eye and being sensitive to sound in the right ear. Physical examination is notable for loss of the nasolabial fold on the right and an inability to close the eye. There are vesicles found by the external acoustic meatus. Sensation is intact throughout the face. He is started on prednisone. Introduction Clinical definition login to view 1 more bullet Epidemiology Incidence login to view 1 more bullet Demographic login to view 1 more bullet Etiology Idiopathic Herpes simplex virus login to view 1 more bullet Varicella-zoster virus Lyme disease Sarcoidosis Malignancy Diabetes mellitus Pathogenesis Facial nerve palsy may result from inflammatory or infectious insults to the facial nerve Anatomy The facial nerve is a mixed nerve that arises from the pontomedullary junction and contains login to view 9 more bullets Presentation Symptoms and physical exam login to view 8 more bullets Peripheral (lower motor neuron) vs central (upper motor neuron) lesion login to view 4 more bullets Studies Diagnostic criteria login to view 1 more bullet Differential Stroke login to view 2 more bullets Multiple sclerosis login to view 2 more bullets Myasthenia gravis login to view 2 more bullets Treatment Supportive login to view 3 more bullets Medical login to view 3 more bullets Complications Ocular manifestations login to view 1 more bullet Prognosis Most patients recover