01304nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001400055653002000069653001900089653002100108653001100129653001100140653001200151653000900163100001500172700001100187245007000198300001000268490000700278520076300285022001401048       1976                            d  c1976 May10aBlindness10aEyelid Diseases10aFacial Muscles10aFacial Paralysis10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale1 aMiller S H1 aWood M00aSurgical treatment of facial nerve involvement caused by leprosy.  a445-80 v253 a<p>Complete and partial nerve paralysis can result from leprosy. The latter is more prevalent and results in lagophthalmos and corneal hypoesthesia. The former is characterized by loss of facial expression, deviation of the face to the nonparalyzed side, difficulty in chewing, and drooling, in addition to lagophthalmos and corneal hypoesthesia. Affected patients are at risk to develop blindness, as well as suffering social and economic deprivation because of the effects of facial nerve paralysis. Prevention of blindness and amelioration of the latter were successfully achieved by muscle transfer procedures, temporalis transfer to the eyelid, and masseter transfer to the mouth and nasolabial fold in small, minimally equipped hospitals in Africa.</p>  a0002-9637