Diabetes Mellitus and Bell's Palsy.

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 BR impairment; d) potentially concurrent distal symmetrical sensorimotor polyneuropathy; e) more frequent alternating BP with recurrent episodes affecting different sides of the face.