Objective:
Bell’s palsy (BP) is an idiopathic, acute peripheral facial nevre paralysis (PFP) usually affecting only one side of the face. The etiology of Bell’s palsy is unknown but viral infections, vascular ischemia, and autoimmune disorders have all been postulated as possible mechanisms. In this study we analyze patients with PFP admitted to our hospital.
Material and Methods:
We evaluated epidemiological, clinical, and demographical aspects of 108 patients with PFP admitted to our hospital from April 2008 to March 2010.
Results:
Fifty-three patients (49,1%) were female and 55 (50,9%) were male. The age of population was between 8 and 82 (the average is 45). Twenty-five of the patients had DM and 23 had HT. Three patients were pregnant. Approximately 50% of patients applied to our clinic in summer months. Eight patients had recurrent BP. One of these patients had DM and one had HT. In our study 82,4% of the patients recovered without any sequelae.
Conclusion:
Epidemiological and demographical features of the patients included in this study are compatible with the literature. In spite of the foreign literature published so far we found that the frequency of disease is increased during summer months.
Keywords: Facial paralysis, Bell’s palsy, season