Bell's palsy diagnostic study of choice
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mohamadmostafa Jahansouz M.D.[2]
Overview
There's no specific test for Bell's palsy. Your doctor will look at your face and ask you to move your facial muscles by closing your eyes, lifting your brow, showing your teeth and frowning, among other movements.
Other conditions — such as a stroke, infections, Lyme disease and tumors — can also cause facial muscle weakness, mimicking Bell's palsy. If the cause of your symptoms isn't clear, your doctor may recommend other tests, including:
- Electromyography (EMG). This test can confirm the presence of nerve damage and determine its severity. An EMG measures the electrical activity of a muscle in response to stimulation and the nature and speed of the conduction of electrical impulses along a nerve.
- Imaging scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) may be needed on occasion to rule out other possible sources of pressure on the facial nerve, such as a tumor or skull fracture.
Diagnostic Study of Electromyography (EMG) or Choice
Study of choice
- There is no single diagnostic study of choice for the diagnosis of Bell's palsy.[1]
- Bell's palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion of other causes of facial nerve palsy.[2]
- The Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) may be performed to rule out other possible causes of facial nerve palsy.[3]
References
- ↑ Fahimi J, Navi BB, Kamel H (2014). "Potential misdiagnoses of Bell's palsy in the emergency department". Ann Emerg Med. 63 (4): 428–34. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2013.06.022. PMC 3940662. PMID 23891413.
- ↑ Holland NJ, Bernstein JM (2014). "Bell's palsy". BMJ Clin Evid. 2014. PMC 3980711. PMID 24717284.
- ↑ de Almeida JR, Guyatt GH, Sud S, Dorion J, Hill MD, Kolber MR; et al. (2014). "Management of Bell palsy: clinical practice guideline". CMAJ. 186 (12): 917–22. doi:10.1503/cmaj.131801. PMC 4150706. PMID 24934895.