Method Of Exam
Author: A. Chandrasekhar, MD
Consultant:M. Kelly, MD and M. Merchut, MD
Inspect the face. Look for asymmetry at rest, during conversation and when testing various muscles.
Ask the patient to
wrinkle his forehead
or raise his eyebrows, enabling you to test the upper face (frontalis).
Next, have the patient tightly close his eyes. Test the strength of the
orbicularis oculi
by gently trying to pry open the patient's upper eyelid.
Instruct him to
puff out both cheeks.
Check tension by tapping his cheeks with your fingers.
Have the patient smile broadly and
show his teeth,
testing the lower face.
Normal:
No facial asymmetry.
Wrinkling of the forehead and smiling are equal and symmetrical.