Abstract

Bell’s palsy is a frequent disorder seen by ear, nose and throat specialists. In a 31-year-old female case who was admitted to our outpatient clinic, we detected a 4 cm meningioma on magnetic resonance imaging scan. Most clinicians do not need an imaging study in Bell’s palsy patients, as they are commonly seen in outpatient clinics and most of them resolve spontaneously. The most widely adopted opinion is that imaging is necessary in the presence of atypic symptoms accompanied by progressive palsy or recurrent palsy. We investigated approaches of ear, nose and throat specialists to such cases using a simple questionnaire. Of responders, 62% did not require imaging, while 38% recommended imaging. Therefore, we report a case in the light of law and our colleagues’ approaches.