Idiopathic facial paralysis with pregnancy

Idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis is a common clinical condition, but the etiology and preferred motivetreatment are still undecided.,Many cases of Bell s palsy with pregnancy were studiedfor factors that might show relation between pregnancy and,Bell s palsy. The currently popular etiological theorycentre around disturbance of microvascular circulation. Abattery of tests failed to reveal any specific etiologicfactors. No causative relation was found between toxaemia,,hypertension or primigraviditYt and B811 s palsy. No clearevidence for an etiologic relationship was seen with oede-ma or hormonal changes in pregnancy. Although viral origin,for Bell s palsy may be suspected, the fact remains that nodefinite cause has been identified.A number of factors in pregnancy suggested an etiolo-,gic role for herpes simplex virus reactivation in Bell spalsy.The incidence of facial paralysis was not significan-tly different in pregnant and nonpregnant populations ofsimilar age groups.The disorder does not appear to affect nor be affectedby pregnancy, labour or delivery.