[Electrophysiological examinations in Bell's palsy using electroneuronography and strength-duration curve].

In 30 patients with Bell's palsy electroneuronography (ENoG) and strength-duration curve (S-D curve) were used to evaluate the recovery from the palsy at the orbicularis oris and the oculi muscles. At the orbicularis oris muscle, the final outcome was poor in the patients in whom minimum ENoG < 10%, and all the patients with 30% <or= minENoG showed good recovery. In the patients with 10 <or= minENoG < 30, when S-D curve was without scale out, all the patients showed complete recovery. The recovery in the orbicularis oculi muscle of the patients with minENoG < 10% was all poor, but two patients with 30% <or= minENoG, remained in the impaired situation, and one patient with 10 <or= minENoG < 30, without scale out in S-D curve showed poor recovery. These findings suggests that electrophysiological examinations using ENoG and S-D curve in the patients with Bell's palsy can provide valuable information at the orbicularis oris muscle, but at the orbicularis oculi muscle, these are less reliable.