1.
Ophthalmology
; 86(11): 1943-50, 1979 Nov.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-552618
ABSTRACT
Thirty-three patients with Bell's palsy underwent ophthalmic examination, including Schirmer testing, corneal sensitivity measurement, and electromyography. Sixteen patients returned for follow-up after one year. Sixty-one percent of the patients initially showed punctate fluorescein staining of the inferior cornea. Electromyographic studies demonstrate a high correlation between orbicularis function and the presence of corneal epithelial staining. Our results demonstrate a high frequency of minor corneal involvement in the acute phase of Bell's palsy. Healing of the epithelial defects follows improvement in orbicularis function.