Bell's palsy—two disease entities?

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Abstract
Analysis of 572 cases of idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis did not reveal seasonal variation in the frequency of the disease. Analysis by age groups, however, showed that Bell''s palsy is more common in cold weather among younger patients while in the older age groups it is more frequent in warm weather. Various etiologic theories of facial paralysis are discussed in view of the literature, and the possibility is suggested that Bell''s palsy may be the clinical manifestation of 2 different diseases processes: an infectious-inflammatory process which is more common in cold weather and in young people and a vascularischemic process which is more frequent in warm weather and in the older age groups.