To what extent do evaluations of facial paralysis by physicians coincide with self-evaluations by patients: comparison of the Yanagihara method, the House-Brackmann method, and self-evaluation by patients.

OBJECTIVES: To understand to what extent evaluations of facial paralysis by physicians coincide with self-evaluations by patients. STUDY
DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-one patients (68 male patients and 63 female patients) with facial paralysis were included in the study.
INTERVENTIONS: The relationship between the evaluation of facial paralysis using the Yanagihara system, the House-Brackmann grading system, and self-evaluation by patients was studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The paralysis scores and grade determined by physicians using the above two systems were well correlated with the self-evaluations by patients. RESULTS The evaluation of subjective symptoms differed among individuals. Even patients who were evaluated as either completely paralyzed or cured according to the Yanagihara and House-Brackmann methods did not always rate their subjective symptoms as being consistent with these scores.
CONCLUSION: Evaluations with the two systems correlated significantly with self-evaluations by patients on the whole. These two methods of evaluation are considered appropriate not only for physicians but also for patients. In contrast, some discrepancies were observed. This point should be taken into account in routine patient care.