A rise in facial nerve palsies during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Zammit, Matthew; Markey, Andrew C.; Webb, Christopher

doi:10.1017/s0022215120002121

Cited by 33 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Studies have been published regarding the increased peripheric acute facial paralysis during COVID-19 pandemic. Direct viral neurophism or immune-mediated mechanism secondary to increased pro-inflammatory cytokines may cause facial paralysis in COVID-19 [ [11] , [12] , [13] , [23] , [24] , [25] ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facial paralysis as the only symptom of COVID-19: A prospective study

İslamoğlu

Çelik

Kırış

2021

American Journal of Otolaryngology

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Purpose Idiopathic facial palsy is called as Bell's palsy and reports showed that facial paralysis increased during COVID-19 pandemic period. There are many reports about the relationship between COVID-19 and facial paralysis but there is no prospective study. SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies increase in COVID-19. Our purpose is to investigate SARS-CoV-2 IgG + IgM antibody in the Bell's palsy. Methods Prospective cross-sectional study was planned. Patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis with no reason and diagnosed as Bell's palsy was included in the study. In order to investigate SARS-CoV-2 in the etiologies of these patients, SARS-CoV-2 IgM + IgG (total) test was studied. SARS-CoV-2 IgG + IgM was measured by using the ADVIA Centaur® test kit. Test reports result in index values and as nonreactive or reactive. The results were analyzed. Results Forty-one patients were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 41,7. 17 (41,4%) were female and 24 (58,6%) were male. 21 patients had left-sided; 20 had right-sided paralysis. SARS-CoV-2 IgG + IgM values were measured two times of the patients. First control was in the first week of facial paralysis, 10 (24,3%) positivity was found. The average index of the positive patients were 6,74 (min.1,39–max.10) in the first control and 9,585 in the second control (min.8,7–max. 10). Conclusion We found that the SARS-CoV-2 IgM + IgG antibody test was positive in 24.3% of the patients with Bell's palsy. The results are higher than the seroprevalence studies conducted in asymptomatic individuals. Facial paralysis could be the only symptom of COVID-19 but further studies must be done.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facial paralysis as the only symptom of COVID-19: A prospective study

İslamoğlu

Çelik

Kırış

2021

American Journal of Otolaryngology

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“…Meanwhile, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has infected over 45 million worldwide. It possible that this patient's presentation was a coincidence, this patient presented as the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 was declining 17 in the region, and the incidence of FNP has increased during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, 18 which suggests a relationship between his BP and SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Bell's Palsy Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a 2-Year-Old Child

Bsales

Olson

Gaur

et al. 2021

Journal of Pediatric Neurology

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Bell's palsy (BP) is an acute, unilateral facial nerve palsy (FNP) that is a diagnosis of exclusion, sometimes associated with infectious causes. In this article, we described a previously healthy 2-year-old child patient who presented with left-sided facial droop, positive severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), positive SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig)-G antibody, and negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) SARS-CoV-2 (PCR and serology). This is the second reported pediatric case of BP in the setting of SARS-CoV-2, and the first in a child without comorbidities. Due to the positive antibody test, we presented the idea that SARS-CoV-2 could be a triggering factor of the FNP, possibly occurring in the later stages of disease.

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“…Finally, Zammit et al conducted a retrospective review of VIIth cranial nerve palsies in the first half of 2020 compared to cases in 2019. 4 The authors found that the VIIth cranial nerve palsy incidence in the 2020 period was 3.5 per cent and significantly higher than last year's rate of 1.3 per cent ( p < 0.01). The authors hypothesise that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may be responsible for an increased number of facial nerve palsies and advise clinicians to be aware of this as an initial presentation of the disease.…”

mentioning

confidence: 90%