Surgical decompression of idiopathic facial palsy.

There is no consensus on the cause of Bell's palsy, just as there is no proven medical therapy. Disregarding the numerous theoretic causes, preponderant anatomic, electrophysiologic, radiologic, clinical, and pathologic evidence supports entrapment at the medical foramen of the fallopian canal as a final common pathway resulting in facial nerve ischemia and degeneration. Middle cranial fossa decompression of the meatal foramen may benefit those patients most severely affected with Bell's palsy.