BACKGROUND: Currently there is much controversy whether to treat idiopathic facial palsy with corticosteroids with sparse data on the natural course of the disease in children. METHODS: We performed a prospective study on all children <15 years of age who were admitted to our unit for facial palsy between 1st July 1998 to 30th June 2008. All patients received a standardized work-up and follow-up. Therapy consisted of symptomatic treatment either with (in case of neuroborreliosis) or without a 14 day course of intravenous antibiotics. FINDINGS: 106 patients were included in our study. The calculated incidence for facial palsy was 21.1/100000/year for children <15 years. The incidence for neuroborreliosis (NB) in this age group was calculated to be 4.9/100000/year. The overall rate of complete recovery was 97.6% with significantly faster recovery in younger children and in patients with NB as compared to idiopathic facial palsy. Both patients with incomplete recovery were at least 14 years old and presented late in the course of the disease. CONCLUSION: Based on the rate of 97.6% spontaneous complete recovery we believe that the routine use of corticosteroids in children with facial palsy is not justified, unless there is new data from controlled trials in children.
BACKGROUND: Currently there is much controversy whether to treat idiopathic facial palsy with corticosteroids with sparse data on the natural course of the disease in children. METHODS: We performed a prospective study on all children <15 years of age who were admitted to our unit for facial palsy between 1st July 1998 to 30th June 2008. All patients received a standardized work-up and follow-up. Therapy consisted of symptomatic treatment either with (in case of neuroborreliosis) or without a 14 day course of intravenous antibiotics. FINDINGS: 106 patients were included in our study. The calculated incidence for facial palsy was 21.1/100000/year for children <15 years. The incidence for neuroborreliosis (NB) in this age group was calculated to be 4.9/100000/year. The overall rate of complete recovery was 97.6% with significantly faster recovery in younger children and in patients with NB as compared to idiopathic facial palsy. Both patients with incomplete recovery were at least 14 years old and presented late in the course of the disease. CONCLUSION: Based on the rate of 97.6% spontaneous complete recovery we believe that the routine use of corticosteroids in children with facial palsy is not justified, unless there is new data from controlled trials in children.
Authors: R A Bruinsma; C A Smulders; Y M Vermeeren; B van Kooten; E A Cats; B van Hees; M Boele van Hensbroek; J W Hovius; T P Zomer Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2021-05-11 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Marta E Álvarez-Argüelles; Susana Rojo-Alba; Mercedes Rodríguez Pérez; Fátima Abreu-Salinas; Ana de Lucio Delgado; Santiago Melón García Journal: Am J Case Rep Date: 2019-08-17
Authors: Franz E Babl; Mark T Mackay; Meredith L Borland; David W Herd; Amit Kochar; Jason Hort; Arjun Rao; John A Cheek; Jeremy Furyk; Lisa Barrow; Shane George; Michael Zhang; Kaya Gardiner; Katherine J Lee; Andrew Davidson; Robert Berkowitz; Frank Sullivan; Emily Porrello; Kim Marie Dalziel; Vicki Anderson; Ed Oakley; Sandy Hopper; Fiona Williams; Catherine Wilson; Amanda Williams; Stuart R Dalziel Journal: BMC Pediatr Date: 2017-02-13 Impact factor: 2.125
Authors: Hye Won Yoo; Lira Yoon; Hye Young Kim; Min Jung Kwak; Kyung Hee Park; Mi Hye Bae; Yunjin Lee; Sang Ook Nam; Young Mi Kim Journal: Korean J Pediatr Date: 2018-09-12