Zeynep Selen Karalok1, Birce Dilge Taskin1, Zeynep Ozturk2, Esra Gurkas1, Tuba Bulut Koc3, Alev Guven1. 1. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Ankara Children's Hematology-Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. 2. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Ankara Children's Hematology-Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. zeynep1220@yahoo.com. 3. Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Children's Hematology-Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics, causes, treatment patterns, outcome, and recurrence of childhood peripheral facial palsy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 144 peripheral facial palsy patients, under 18 years old in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Medical charts were reviewed to analyze the age, gender, side of facial nerve paralysis, family history, cause, grading by the House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading Scale (HBS), results of diagnostic tests, therapies, outcomes, and recurrence. RESULTS: Causes were as follows: 115 idiopathic (Bell's palsy) facial palsy (79.9%), 17 infections (11.8%) (9 otitis media, 4 varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, 3 tooth abscess, and 1 group A β-hemolytic streptococcus infection), 7 trauma (4.9%), 4 congenital-syndrome (2.8%), and 1 (0.7%) arterial hypertension. There was no difference in age, sex, family history, grading, or outcome between idiopathic and cause-defined facial palsy. At the end of the first year, our recovery rates were 98.3%. No significant difference in recovery outcome was detected between the patients who were treated with and without steroid treatment. Thirteen (9%) patients had recurrent attacks, and no differences in the outcomes of patients with recurrent facial palsy were observed. Recurrence time ranged from 6 months to 6 years. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that both Bell's palsy and cause-defined facial palsy in children have a very good prognosis. Medical treatment based on corticosteroids is not certainly effective in improving outcomes in children. Recurrent attacks occurred in 6 years from the onset which leads to the conclusion that we should have a long-term follow-up of patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy.
OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics, causes, treatment patterns, outcome, and recurrence of childhood peripheral facial palsy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 144 peripheral facial palsypatients, under 18 years old in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Medical charts were reviewed to analyze the age, gender, side of facial nerve paralysis, family history, cause, grading by the House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading Scale (HBS), results of diagnostic tests, therapies, outcomes, and recurrence. RESULTS: Causes were as follows: 115 idiopathic (Bell's palsy) facial palsy (79.9%), 17 infections (11.8%) (9 otitis media, 4 varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, 3 tooth abscess, and 1 group A β-hemolytic streptococcus infection), 7 trauma (4.9%), 4 congenital-syndrome (2.8%), and 1 (0.7%) arterial hypertension. There was no difference in age, sex, family history, grading, or outcome between idiopathic and cause-defined facial palsy. At the end of the first year, our recovery rates were 98.3%. No significant difference in recovery outcome was detected between the patients who were treated with and without steroid treatment. Thirteen (9%) patients had recurrent attacks, and no differences in the outcomes of patients with recurrent facial palsy were observed. Recurrence time ranged from 6 months to 6 years. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that both Bell's palsy and cause-defined facial palsy in children have a very good prognosis. Medical treatment based on corticosteroids is not certainly effective in improving outcomes in children. Recurrent attacks occurred in 6 years from the onset which leads to the conclusion that we should have a long-term follow-up of patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy.
Authors: Mats Engström; Thomas Berg; Anna Stjernquist-Desatnik; Sara Axelsson; Anne Pitkäranta; Malou Hultcrantz; Mervi Kanerva; Per Hanner; Lars Jonsson Journal: Lancet Neurol Date: 2008-10-10 Impact factor: 44.182
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