Bell's palsy in children. Cases of progressive facial nerve degeneration.

Bell's palsy in children occurs infrequently and carries a good prognosis for ultimate recovery. However, results of electrical testing have been reported only sparsely. This paper details the authors' experience with five patients under age 18 who met the criteria for facial nerve decompression in adults. All underwent decompression via the middle fossa and manifested a lesion of the nerve, ie, edema and hyperemia in the geniculate ganglion, meatal foramen, and internal auditory canal. A discussion of pathogenesis and a literature review is included.