両側交代性顔面神経麻痺の3症例についての検討

Three Cases of Bilateral Alternating Facial Nerve Paralysis

　はじめに

　両側顔面神経麻痺は，その発症様式から両側同時性と両側異時性に分類され，後者はさらに両側交代性と両側再発性に分けられている^1）。

　われわれは，比較的稀とされる両側交代性顔面神経麻痺症例を3例経験した。種々の検討を行ったところ，MRIでの造影効果に関して興味深い知見が得られたので，若干の文献的考察を加えて報告する。

Three cases of bilateral alternating facial nerve paraly-sis were diagnosed as Bell's palsy occurring alterna-tively. MRI using Gd-DTPA demonstrated enhancement in the peripheral portions of the nerve including the internal auditory canals of the palsy side in the second attack of all three patients. The enhancement was not found in the opposite side which had already been cured. The present findings may support the idea that enhancement of the facial nerve in facial paralysis is caused by microcirculatory disturbance due to the inflammation of the nerve tissue.