Out of 72 patients treated for Borrelia burgdorferi meningopolyradicul
oneuritis facial palsies occurred in 22 (12 unilateral, 10 bilateral).
Eleven of the 32 pareses were initially complete. By the follow-up ex
amination patients had recovered well with slight sequelae in 22% with
out cosmetically disfiguring pareses or synkinesias. Electrophysiologi
cal studies revealed axonal damage of the nerve as the underlying mech
anism.