Bells Palsy and acoustic neuroma

[cjd]

Has anyone ever heard of a relationship between Bell's Palsy and acoustic neuroma?  Just curious really. 

I had Bell's Palsy on the right side of my face about 13-14 years ago, which lasted a couple of months.  Then ten years later I was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma in my left ear which I had removed in 2023.  Just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience or maybe it's just random coincidence.

[destructionmuesli]

I had Bell’s Palsy too—mine was on the left side and lasted about 6 weeks. No acoustic neuroma in my case, but I’ve definitely seen a few folks mention both conditions in the forums over the years.

[seagullbiat]

In your particular case, a direct cause-and-effect relationship is highly unlikely. The unilateral Bell's palsy and the contralateral acoustic neuroma clearly represent two separate, unrelated events. If the acoustic neuroma were the cause of the palsy, both events would almost certainly have occurred on the same side. The ten-year gap also suggests different causes. Bell's palsy is often attributed to a viral inflammation of the facial nerve.

[arisepeanuts]

Bell’s palsy is usually caused by sudden inflammation of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), which may be associated with a viral infection. In contrast, an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) is a benign tumor that develops on the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII) and can compress the facial nerve as it grows larger.

In your case, having Bell’s palsy on the right side and then discovering a nerve tumor on the left side 10 years later suggests that these may be two separate events, since they occurred on different sides. However, having had facial nerve problems in the past may make you more sensitive to—or more likely to recognize early—the signs of an acoustic neuroma, such as hearing loss or dizziness.