Evaluation of Factors Associated With Favorable Outcomes in Adults With Bell Palsy

Abstract

Identification of the factors associated with improved facial nerve function after treatment of Bell palsy is important to provide patients with early and effective treatment. To identify factors that are associated with improved treatment outcomes in patients with Bell palsy. This retrospective cohort study included 1364 patients with Bell palsy treated at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Otolaryngology at the Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea, between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017. The medical records of patients admitted to this hospital for management of acute facial palsy were reviewed by 3 otolaryngologists with more than 20 years' experience in treating facial palsy. Facial function at the initial and final visits were measured using the House-Brackmann (H-B) grading system, which is one of several analysis tools developed to quantify facial function and provide reproducible information. It is a widely accepted system for grading facial function in 6 steps, from normal (H-B grade I) to total paralysis (H-B grade VI). In total, 1364 patients with primary Bell palsy (718 [52.6%] women) and a mean (SD) age of 47.7 (16.7) years were enrolled. The overall rate of favorable outcome, which was defined as an H-B grade of I or II at the 6-month follow-up visit, was 80.6% (1099 of 1364 patients). Of 1099 patients who had a favorable outcome at 6 months, 343 (31.2%) were younger than 40 years. Of 1364 patients, 1053 (77.2%) had moderate facial dysfunction (H-B grade III or IV). No pathological spontaneous fibrillation activity (ie, good electromyography [EMG] results) was detected on EMG in 937 of 1364 patients (68.7%), 492 (36.1%) had controlled hypertension, and 673 (49.3%) were treated with oral corticosteroids alone. Multivariable analysis revealed that the following factors were associated with favorable outcome: age younger than 40 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.56; 95% CI, 1.09-2.22), an initial H-B grade of III or IV (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.93-3.57), good EMG results after 2 weeks of treatment (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 2.48-4.61), absence of diabetes (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.04-2.36), and control of hypertension (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.16-2.33). Multiple logistic regression analysis in this study suggests that multiple clinical factors are associated with favorable outcomes in patients with Bell palsy.