Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was used in the evaluation of the facial nerve in four patients with idiopathic facial paralysis and six with herpes zoster oticus (HZO). Enhancement of the facial nerve was seen in all patients with Bell's palsy, and 50 percent of patients with HZO. The most consistent area of enhancement in both disorders involved the premeatal and labyrinthine segments. Although the images showed changes consistent with the type of viral process that is known to occur in these disorders, we found no significant correlation between the intensity or pattern of facial nerve enhancement on the images, the severity or duration of the disease, or the patient's prognosis for recovery. Nevertheless, gadolinium-enhanced MRI does have a place in the evaluation and decisions for management of select cases of facial paralysis.