The most common motor nerve involvement in herpes zoster oticus is the facial nerve. Degeneration of the facial nerve tends to be severer in herpes zoster oticus than in Bell's palsy. The clinical manifestations depend on severity of the varicella zoster virus infection resulting multi-or single-cranial nerve involvement, and even no neurologic sign occur. We reviewed sixteen cases of herpes zoster oticus from June. 1986 to May, 1991 to evaluate the prognostic factors of the facial nerve paralysis and clinical features in herpes zoster oticus.