Abstract
Acute peripheral facial palsy (APFP), including Bell’s palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, is a disease that affects daily life through facial motor dysfunction, causing psychological problems. Various tests to evaluate prognosis have been studied; however, there are no validated predictive biomarkers to guide clinical decision making. Therefore, specific biomarkers that respond to treatment are required to understand prognostic outcomes. In this review, we discuss existing literature regarding the role of APFP biomarkers in prognosis and recovery. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant papers. Our screening identified relevant studies and biomarkers correlating with the identification of predictive biomarkers. Only studies published between January 2000 and October 2021 were included. Our search identified 5835 abstracts, of which 35 were selected. All biomarker samples were obtained from blood and were used in the evaluation of disease severity and prognosis associated with recovery. These biomarkers have been effective prognostic or predictive factors under various conditions. Finally, we classified them into five categories. There is no consensus in the literature on the correlation between outcomes and prognostic factors for APFP. Furthermore, the correlation between hematologic laboratory values and APFP prognosis remains unclear. However, it is important to identify new methods for improving the accuracy of facial paralysis prognosis prediction. Therefore, we systematically evaluated prognostic and potentially predictive APFP biomarkers. Unfortunately, a predictive biomarker validating APFP prognosis remains unknown. More prospective studies are required to reveal and identify promising biomarkers providing accurate prognosis.
Highlights
Acute peripheral facial palsy (APFP), the seventh cranial nerve palsy, is the sudden weakening of facial muscle movement on one side of the face
Our focus was on biomarkers related to the following question: What are the currently available prognostic biomarkers that aid in predicting the clinical outcomes of APFP? In this way, we aimed to identify and pursue the most promising prognostic biomarkers for further evaluation and validation studies
Biomarkers play an important role in APFP prognosis, but the developmental path toward a clinically valid biomarker is always long and challenging
Summary
Acute peripheral facial palsy (APFP), the seventh cranial nerve palsy, is the sudden weakening of facial muscle movement on one side of the face. It appears as idiopathic facial paralysis in the majority of cases, of which Bell’s palsy (BP) is the most common form, accounting for 60–75% of all incidences [1]. Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is the second most common cause of APFP. It is characterized by paralysis of the facial nerve, otalgia, vesicles, and rashes occurring in the affected ear.
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