A comparative study of age and degree of facial nerve recovery in patients with Bell's palsy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is any relationship between the age of a patient and the degree of facial nerve recovery in patients with Bell's palsy. Between 1987 and 1995 250 patients with peripheral idiopathic facial nerve palsy were examined at the ENT Clinic of the University of Ioannina. In this group 134 were male and 116 were female. The patients' ages ranged from 4 to 80 years and had an average of 47.7 years. The average age of the male patients was 46.5 years and that of the female patients was 49.1 years. In the overall group of 250 patients 129 presented with a paralysis of the right facial nerve and 121 on the left. There was no case of bilateral palsies. When comparing the age of the patients and the degree of recovery, measuring age was associated with a decrease in complete recovery. While the percentage of complete recovery between age 4 and 50 years varied from 83% to 74%, respectively, the percentage of complete recovery decreased to less than 54% at age 80. Our results show that the age of the patient is a very important factor for facial nerve recovery.

Rate of Recovery of Taste Function after Preservation of Chorda Tympani Nerve in Middle Ear Surgery with Special Reference to Type of Disease

“…and it was also consistent with findings in the peripheral motor and sensory neuronsl-' and the facial nerve. 14 The present study suggests that we have to explain the potential taste disturbance to patients before surgery, especially in the case of NI diseases such as otosclerosis. In bilateral otosclerosis, the operation on the second side is recommended after the taste function on the first side recovers to the normal level, as shown in Fig 3. However, if the patient is more concerned about improving hearing loss than about impaired taste function, physicians have no choice but to perform surgery on the second ear.…”

The causes and treatments of 47 children with facial nerve palsy experienced in two hospitals in northern Greece

“…In our study, 15 of 18 (83.3%) cases with Bell's palsy recovered completely and there was no significant difference between the treatment modality and recovery rate. In a comparative study of age and degree of facial nerve recovery in Bell's palsy by Danielidis et al, the percentage of complete recovery between age 4 and 50 years varied from 83% to 74.5%, respectively, and the percentage decreased to <54% at age 80 [13]. The same result also can be J o u r n a l o f P e d i a t r i c S c i e n c e s 2014;6;e206 found in Peitersen's study [14]: above the age of 60 years, only about one-third of patients will experience the return of normal function.…”

Peripheral Facial Palsy and Mimicry after Rehabilitation

“…4 Their results are better than ours. Whatever the type of facial rehabilitation established (classic or mirror), only the age and the free range, 14,9 have been identified as factors that may influence the recovery after peripheral facial paralysis. A free range is defined by the time between the installation of peripheral facial paralysis at the consultation in a service of physical medicine and rehabilitation.…”