Traumatic facial paralysis is the second more common cause of facial impairment. STUDY DESIGN: Chart review. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective review of 82 patients with facial paralysis was conducted from January 1990 to January 1999. RESULTS: From this group 54 were males (65.8%) and 28 females (34.2%), patients' age ranged from 2 to 75 years (mean age 30.9 y). The kind of trauma was iatrogenic in 15 (18.22%); penetrating injuries into the face in 2 (2.44%); temporal bone fractures in 50 (60.97%); gunshot injuries in 14 (17.07%) and birth injury in 1 (1.22%). There were 71 sudden paralysis (86.5%), 10 progressive paralysis (12.3%) and 1 at birth (1.22%). The beginning electrical tests were symmetrical in 32 (43.84%) and with markedly decreased response in 41 (56.16%). The symmetrical ones had complete recovery in 24, 80% of recovery in 6 and 60% of recovery in 2; the asymmetrical ones with decreased response, only 5 recoveries completely. CONCLUSION: 1. There was greater male incidence; 2. There were more sudden paralysis and they recovered better than the progressives; 3. There were more patients with temporal trauma with fractures and they recovery better than the others; 4. The electrical tests could give the prognoses to the facial paralysis patient; 5. The worst cases of facial paralysis received more aggressive treatment, with good results.
facial paralysis; trauma