Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T11:39:12.262Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The possible contributing factors for the success of steroid therapy in Bell's Palsy: a clinical and electrophysiological study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Tarek S. Shafshak ,
Aymen Y. Essa  and
Fathy A. Bakey
Tarek S. Shafshak*
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
Aymen Y. Essa
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
Fathy A. Bakey
Affiliation:
Department of Otology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
*
Tarek S. Shafshak, M.D., Sidi Gaber, PO Box 41, Alexandria 21311, Egypt.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Incomplete recovery from Bell's palsy was observed in some patients even after the intake of corticosteroids. This prospective study was performed on 160 patients with unilaterial nonrecurrent Bell's palsy in order to investigate the role of prednisolone on the prognosis of Bell's palsy. Ninety-three patients were given prednisolone tablets (1 mg/kg body wt/day up to 70 mg) for six successive days, then the dose was reduced gradually over the next four days. The remaining 67 patients were not given prednisolone (control group). Facial nerve recovery was assessed clinically and electrophysiologically for up to one year. The results of this study suggested that the most probable contributing factor for the success of prednisolone in improving the prognosis of Bell's palsy was its early intake (within the first 24 hours following onset).

Keywords

Facial paralysisAdrenal cortex hormonesPrednisolone
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 108 , Issue 11 , November 1994 , pp. 940 - 943
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adour, K. K., Bell, D. N., Wingerd, J. (1974) Bell palsy: dilemma of diabetes mellitus. Archives of Otolaryngology 99: 114–117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adour, K. K., Byl, F. M., Hilsinger, R. L., Kahn, Z. M., Sheldon, M. I. (1978) The true nature of Bell's palsy: analysis of 1000 consecutive patients. Laryngoscope 88: 787–801.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bance, M., Rutka, J. (1990) Speculation into the etiologic role of viruses in the development of Bell's palsy and disorders of inner ear dysfuntion: a case history and review of the literature. Journal of Otolaryngology 19(1): 46–49.Google Scholar
Brown, J. S. (1982) Bell's palsy: a 5-year review of 174 consecutive cases; an attempted double-blind study. Laryngoscope 92: 1369–1373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, L. P., Yim, D. W., Lepore, M. L., Tripler, A. M. (1984) Bell's palsy: the steroid controversy revisited. Laryngoscope 94: 1472–1476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Castles, J. J. (1985) Glucocorticoids. In Arthritis and Allied Conditions, a Textbook of Rheumatology. 10th Edition. (McCarty, D. J., ed.), Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, pp 512–524.Google Scholar
Devi, S., Challenor, Y., Duarte, N., Lovelace, R. E. (1978) Prognostic value of minimal excitability of facial nerve in Bell's palsy. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 41: 649–652.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
El-Ebiary, H. M. (1971) Facial paralysis: a clinical study of 580 cases. Rheumatology and Physical Medicine 11(3): 100–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hill, A. B. (1977) A Short Textbook of Medical Statistics, 10th Edition, Hodder and Stoughton, London, pp 137–160.Google Scholar
House, J. W., Brackmann, D. E. (1985) Facial nerve grading system. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery 93(2): 146–147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huizing, E. H., Mechelse, K., Staal, A. (1981) Treatment of Bell's palsy, an analysis of the available studies. Acta Otolaryngologica 92: 115–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, E. W. (1988) The EMG examination. In Practical Electromyography. 2rd Edition. (Johnson, E. J., ed.), Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore/London, pp 1–21.Google Scholar
May, M., Wette, R., Hardin, W. B., Sullivan, J. (1976) The use of steroids in Bell's palsy: a prospective controlled study. Laryngoscope 86: 1111–1122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
May, M., Klein, S. R., Taylor, F. H. (1985) Idiopathic (Bell's) facial palsy: natural history defies steroid or surgical treatment. Laryngoscope 95: 406–409.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, G. F. (1990) Facial nerve paralysis. Primary Care 17(2): 437–460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peitersen, E. (1982) The natural history of Bell's palsy. American Journal of Otolaryngology 4: 107–111.Google ScholarPubMed
Petruzzelli, G. J., Hirsch, B. E. (1991) Bell's palsy: a diagnosis of exclusion. Postgraduate Medicine 90(2): 115–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prescott, C. A. (1988) Idiopathic facial nerve palsy (the effect of treatment with steroids). Journal of Laryngology and Otology 102: 403–407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rusk, H. A. (1977) Rehabilitation Medicine, 4th Edition, Mosby Co., Saint Louis, pp 75–90.Google Scholar
Sandier, B. (1982) Cranial nerve palsies and brain stem syndromes. In Krusen's Handbook of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 3rd Edition. (Kottke, F. J. et al. , eds.), W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia/London, pp 491–498.Google Scholar
WHO Report on Diabetes Mellitus (1985). Technical Report Series 727. WHO, Geneva.Google Scholar
Wolf, S. M, Wagner, J. H., Davidson, S., Forsythe, A. (1978). Treatment of Bell's palsy with prednisone: a prospective randomized study. Neurology 28: 158–161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed