Neuro - Focal Weakness Flashcards
What is Bell’s Palsy?
Bell’s Palsy:
Is an acute, unilateral, idiopathic, facial nerve (CN VII) paralysis i.e. affectin the LMNs (thus no forehead sparing)
- Cause = unknown
- More common in pregnant women
- Facial nerve (CN VII) supplies - ‘face, ear, taste, tear’:
- face: muscles of facial expression
- ear: nerve to stapedius
- taste: supplies anterior two-thirds of tongue
- tear: parasympathetic fibres to lacrimal glands, also salivary glands
What are the features of Bell’s palsy?
Features of Bell’s palsy:
- LMN facial nerve (CN VII) palsy - with forehead affected
- Onset = hours/days (sudden onset is more likely stroke)
- Pts may have:
- post-auricular pain (can preceed paralysis)
- altered taste
- dry eyes
- hyperacusis (↑ sensitivity to sound)
How is Bell’s palsy managed?
-
Prednisolone 1 mg/kg for 10 days, within 72hrs of onset (NIH randomised control trial recommended)
- Adding aciclovir has no added benefit
- Eye care - artificial tears / eye lubricant
Pt with Bell’s palsy wants to know the following - answer their questions:
- Will my face recover? - if so how long will it take?
- Is there any treatment?
- What caused it and will it happen again?
- Facial weakness can worsen over first few days –> majority recover completely in 4-6 months (duration depends on initial severity)
- ~30% have some degree of permanent impaired facial nerve function
- If no improve in tone / movement in 6 months consider another diagnosis
- Prednisolone + eye care to help manage the condition
- Cause is unknown, some research suggests virus’ can cause it but it’s not proven
What is Ramsay Hunt syndrome?
Ramsay Hunt syndrome = reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (herpes zoster) in the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve (CN VII)
- Ramsay Hunt syndrome is also called herpes zoster oticus
Features:
- Facial nerve palsy
- Ear pain
- vesicular rash around ear (occasionally on the palate / tongue)
- taste loss of anterior 2/3rds of tongue
- dry eyes + mouth
- vertigo
- tinnitus
What are the possible causes of ‘Foot-drop’?
Each presents with a different picture. From distal to proximal:
-
Neuromuscular disease - rare + other symptoms
- e.g. Charcot-Marie-Tooth, myopathy, muscular dystrophy
-
deep or superficial peroneal nerve lesion
- Deep = weak dorsiflexion (tibialis anterior), weak toe extension (EDL + EHL), weak eversion (peroneal muscles), sensory loss 1st webspace
- Superficial = weak eversion, sensory loss of antero-lateral lower leg + dorsum of foot (except 1st webspace)
-
common peroneal nerve lesion
- e.g. knee dislocation, or extended periods of knee flexion (kneeling)
-
sciatic nerve lesion
- e.g. hip dislocation / #
- Differentiating features: pain in back of thigh + calf
-
L5 radiculopathy
- e.g. L4-L5 disc hernation affecting the L5 nerve root
- Differentiating features: weak hip abduction, back pain, sensory loss of thigh + lower leg, loss of ankle reflex
- Cauda equina - rare + other symptoms
-
UMN pathology - rare + other symptoms
- e.g. stroke, TIA, tumour
What is the most common cause of ‘Foot-drop’?
Common peroneal nerve lesion
Cause:
- Commonest = secondary to compression at neck/head of fibula .e.g.
- sitting cross-legged, squatting, kneeling
- recent weight loss
- Baker’s cyst
- plaster casts
- Trauma e.g. fibula head #
- Diabetes
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Alcohol misuse
What are the features of common peroneal nerve lesion?
What is involved in management?
Features:
- Foot-drop - described as foot ‘slapping’ on ground when walking and tripping over affected foot
-
Weakness of:
- dorsiflexion (tibialis anterior)
- eversion (peroneal muscles) - normal inversion as tibialis posterior innervated by tibial nerve
- big toe extension
- Sensory loss - over dorsum of foot + lateral calf
- Wasting of anterior tibial + peroneal muscles
- Normal reflexes
How is common peroneal neuropathy managed?
Conservative
- Avoid: leg crossing, squatting and kneeling
- Symptoms improve over 2-3 months
What are the features and common cause of radial nerve palsy?
Features:
- Wrist drop
- Sensory disturbance to dorsum of hand between 1st - 2nd metacarpals
Cause:
- Commonly compression of radial nerve against mid-shaft of humerus e.g. sleeping in hard chair with arm drapped over the back, classically after alcohol or from partner sleeping on your arm overnight
- Distal humerus #