Clinical feasibility of temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging as a prognostic tool in idiopathic acute facial palsy.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating the severity and prognosis of idiopathic acute facial nerve palsy.

Methods: Forty-four patients with idiopathic acute facial nerve palsy who had undergone gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were selected retrospectively. The degree of radiological facial nerve enhancement was determined using quantitative analysis (with region-of-interest measurements for separate facial nerve segments) and using subjective visual analysis. The clinical severity of facial nerve palsy was then correlated with the degree of facial nerve enhancement.

Results: The visually determined degree of facial nerve enhancement did not correlate significantly with the House-Brackmann grade at either the early or late stages (p > 0.05). Results using the region-of-interest system were similar (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging is not essential for patients with acute facial nerve palsy.