Bell's palsy, childbirth and epidural analgesia.

We report a case of Bell's palsy following delivery in a parturient who had successful epidural analgesia. Most reported cases have occurred after spinal anaesthesia or inadvertent dural puncture complicating epidural analgesia. Review of the literature revealed few cases of Bell's palsy associated with uncomplicated epidural analgesia. In this report we discuss the controversy surrounding the aetiology and possible mechanism of onset of this unpleasant complication.