title: Facial palsy following trauma to the external ear: 3 case reports.
abstract: We report two children and a young adult who developed unilateral facial palsy shortly after injury to the external ear. In two instances the paralysis followed a prominent ear correction and in the other a laceration to the concha. The trauma-triggered facial palsy was most likely idiopathic although the anatomy of the facial nerve near the ear leads one to speculate on a possible pathway of a virally induced palsy (Bell's palsy). Each patient recovered over a period of 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Plastic Surgery Unit, Wellington Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vögelin
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis