Sestre Milosrdnice University hospital and Institute of Clinical Medical Research
Abstract
The term Bell\u27s palsy (BP) is nowadays reserved for peripheral facial nerve paralysis without well-defined etiology and pathogenesis. BP is not a life threatening condition but it has a potential cosmetic mutilatory effect, and there is also a possibility of serious ophthalmologic complications (corneal ulcers). Recurrent paralyses are noted in 7% - 8% of BP cases. Only two patients with four BP episodes out of 170 patients, and only one patient with more than four BP episodes out of 2414 BP cases have been reported in the literature. The highest number of BP recurrences found in the available literature is nine. A brief review of the epidemiology and etiopathogenesis of BP is presented, a case of unusual recurrent BP is reported, and the immune pathomechanisms are discussed.Pojam Bellove paralize (BP) danas označava perifernu paralizu ličnoga živca nejasne etiologije i patogeneze. BP nije stanje koje bi ugrozilo život bolesnika, ali može imati znatne estetske posljedice te izazvati ozbiljne oftalmološke komplikacije (ulceracije rožnice). Ponovljene paralize javljaju se u 7% - 8% slučajeva BP. U literaturi je opisano samo dvoje bolesnika s četiri epizode BP od ukupno 1700 bolesnika, te samo jedan bolesnik s više od četiri epizode BP od ukupno 2414 slučajeva BP. U dostupnoj literaturi, najveći broj ponovljenih BP je devet. U radu se daje kratak pregled epidemiologije i etiopatogeneze BP, uz prikaz neuobičajenog slučaja ponovljene BP, uključujući raspravu o imunološkim patomehanizmima
