Title:Diabetes Mellitus and Bell’s Palsy
Volume: 19
Issue: 1
Author(s): Iliana Stamatiou, Stella Papachristou and Nikolaos Papanas*
Affiliation:
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Diabetes Centre, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
Keywords:
Bell’s palsy, cranial nerves, diabetes mellitus, diagnosis, therapy, facial nerve, lipoprostaglandin E1.
Abstract: The aim of the present brief review was to discuss Bell’s palsy (BP) in diabetes
mellitus (DM). The risk of BP is increased in DM. DM subjects with BP are more prone to
severe facial nerve degeneration. Further characteristics of BP in DM include a) infrequent
taste impairment; b) more frequent and more marked facial nerve subclinical electrophysiological
impairment; c) more frequent Blink reflex impairment; d) potentially concurrent distal
symmetrical sensorimotor polyneuropathy; e) more frequent alternating BP with recurrent episodes
affecting different sides of the face. Diagnosis of BP rests on clinical examination,
along with facial nerve electromyographic and electroneurographic evaluation. Management
of BP in DM includes physical therapy, corticosteroids, and antiviral agents. Finally, acupuncture,
low-level laser therapy, lipoprostaglandin E1, and stellate ganglion block are new
modalities with initially promising results.
