Bilateral Facial Paralysis Caused by Temporal Bone Fracture: A Case Report

Although bilateral facial nerve palsy is a rare condition, its etiology is more detectable than the unilateral type. A temporal bone fracture is one cause of bilateral facial nerve palsy, contributing in 3% of the cases. Here, we report the case of a 35-year-old man complaining of bilateral incomplete eye closure, two weeks after a closed head injury caused by a motor vehicle accident. The high resolution computed tomography findings revealed a bilateral temporal bone fracture line, which extended to the fallopian canal. With regard to treatment, near complete recovery was obvious after two weeks of treatment with oral corticosteroids. Overall, bilateral facial palsy is hard to diagnose; therefore, clinical suspicion and the early detection of facial nerve injuries is necessary for good nerve recovery in temporal bone fractures.