return to: Facial Paralysis (surgery for facial nerve paralysis weakness)
see also: Facial Reanimation; Platinum-Gold eyelid weighting; Gracilis Muscle Transfer for Facial Paralysis; Unilateral Brow Lift for Facial Paralysis
House-Brackmann facial paralysis scale
|
Grade |
Impairment |
|
I |
Normal |
|
II |
Mild dysfunction (slight weakness, normal symmetry at rest) |
|
III |
Moderate dysfunction (obvious but not disfiguring weakness with synkinesis, normal symmetry at rest) Complete eye closure w/ maximal effort, good forehead movement |
|
IV |
Moderately severe dysfunction (obvious and disfiguring asymmetry, significant synkinesis) Incomplete eye closure, moderate forehead movement |
|
V |
Severe dysfunction (barely perceptible motion) |
|
VI |
Total paralysis (no movement) |
*Please note: This scale is used to evaluate facial paralysis at the nerve trunk, and is not a descriptive scale to describe injury to specific distal facial nerve branches.
Spontaneous nystagmus
- First degree: nystagmus on gaze toward the quick component
- Second degree: nystagmus on gaze toward the quick component and on straight gaze
- Third degree: nystagmus in all directions of gaze
References
House JW, Brackmann DE. Facial nerve grading system. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Apr 1985;93(2):146-7