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Objective: To study whether prednisolone reduces sequelae in Bell's palsy. Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial with 12 months of follow-up. Setting: Seventeen referral centers. Patients: In all, 829 patients aged 18 to 75 years. Interventions: Randomization within 72 hours in a factorial fashion to placebo plus placebo (n=206); prednisolone, 60 mg/d for 5 days, with the dosage then tapered for 5 days, plus placebo (n=210); valacyclovir hydrochloride, 1000 mg 3 times daily for 7 days, plus placebo (n=207); or prednisolone plus valacyclovir (n=206). Main Outcome Measures: Facial function at 12 months assessed with the Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann grading systems. Results: In 184 of the 829 patients, the Sunnybrook score was less than 90 at 12 months; 71 had been treated with prednisolone and 113 had not (P<.001). In 98 patients, the Sunnybrook score was less than 70; 33 had received prednisolone and 65 had not (P<.001). The difference between patients who received prednisolone and who did not in House-Brackmann gradings higher than I and higher than II was also significant (P<.001 and P=.01, respectively). No significant difference was found between patients who received prednisolone and those who did not in Sunnybrook scores less than 50 (P=.10) or House-Brackmann grades higher than III (P=.80). Synkinesis was assessed with the Sunnybrook score in 743 patients. Ninety-six patients had a synkinesis score more than 2, of whom 33 had received prednisolone and 63 had not (P=.001). Sixty patients had a synkinesis score more than 4, of whom 22 had received prednisolone and 38 had not (P=.005). Conclusion: Prednisolone significantly reduces mild and moderate sequelae in Bell's palsy.

OBJECTIVES: To study the development of synkinesis in Bell's palsy. Frequency, severity, gender aspects and predictors were analysed.

DESIGN: Data from the randomised controlled Scandinavian Bell's palsy trial including 829 patients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency and severity of synkinesis at 12 months were the main outcome measures. Mean Sunnybrook synkinesis scores, voluntary movement scores and composite scores between 6 and 12 months were compared.

RESULTS: In 743 patients with a 12-month follow-up, synkinesis frequency was 21.3%. There was no gender difference. Synkinesis was moderate to severe in 6.6% of patients. Those with synkinesis at 6 months had a synkinesis score of 4.1 (±2.8 sd), which increased to 4.7 (±3.2) (P = 0.047) at 12 months (n = 93). Sunnybrook composite score at 1 month was the best predictor for synkinesis development with receiver operating characteristics and area under the curve (AUC) 0.87. Risk for synkinesis increased with a lower Sunnybrook composite score. Furthermore, at 1 month, symmetry of voluntary movement had higher predictive value for synkinesis than resting symmetry with AUC 0.87 and 0.77, respectively. Gentle eye closure and open-mouth smile were the only independent significant predictive items (AUC 0.86).

CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-to-severe synkinesis was present in 6.6% of patients. The mean synkinesis score increased between 6 and 12 months, and outcome should therefore be evaluated after at least 12 months. Sunnybrook composite score and symmetry of voluntary movement at 1 month were good predictors for synkinesis.

Objectives

To compare patient‐graded facial and social/well‐being function with physician‐graded facial function in Bell's palsy over time.

Study Design

A prospective follow‐up study at two tertiary otorhinolaryngological centers.

Methods

A total of 96 patients, 36 women and 60 men, aged 18–77 years, were included. Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) scale and Facial Disability Index (FDI) scores were compared with Sunnybrook and House‐Brackmann scores.

Results

Inclusion was on mean day 7 (96 patients) and follow‐up on days 53 (81 patients) and 137 (32 patients). Initially, correlations between FaCE total score, FaCE domains, FDI physical function, FDI social/well‐being function and Sunnybrook and House‐Brackmann scores were low to fair, except for FaCE facial movement (r = 0.55). Correlations between FaCE total score and Sunnybrook score were very good to excellent at visits 2 (r = 0.83) and 3 (r = 0.81). Women scored FaCE social and FDI social/well‐being function lower than men, despite similar Sunnybrook scores.

Conclusion

In early stages of Bell's palsy, there were low to fair correlations between FaCE/FDI (except for facial movement) and Sunnybrook score. This implies that the design of the quality of life (QoL) instruments is less suited for the acute phase. The high correlations at follow‐ups suggest that the questionnaires can be used for evaluation of QoL over time. Our results indicate that women experience more facial palsy‐related psychosocial dysfunction.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E612–E618, 2021