Published in
Elsevier, Year Book of Pediatrics, (2009), p. 408-411
DOI: 10.1016/s0084-3954(08)79197-8
Elsevier, Year Book of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, (2009), p. 187-188
DOI: 10.1016/s0093-3619(08)79083-x
Elsevier, Year Book of Neurology and Neurosurgery, (2008), p. 128-130
DOI: 10.1016/s0513-5117(08)79007-0
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- ORCID
- Elsevier
- Elsevier
- Elsevier
- Massachusetts Medical Society
- Wiley
- [discovery.dundee.ac.uk]
- [www.researchgate.net] | PDF
- [www.nejm.org] | PDF
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Early treatment with prednisolone or acyclovir in Bell's palsy
,
Richard J. Davenport,
Luke D. Vale,
Janet E. Clarkson,
B. H. Thiers,
Janet E. Ciarkson,
Victoria Hammersley,
Sima Hayavi
and other authors.
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Abstract
Background Corticosteroids and antiviral agents are widely used to treat the early stages of idiopathic facial paralysis (i.e., Bell's palsy), but their effectiveness is uncertain. Methods We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, factorial trial involving patients with Bell's palsy who were recruited within 72 hours after the onset of symptoms. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 10 days of treatment with prednisolone, acyclovir, both agents, or placebo. The primary outcome was recovery of facial function, as rated on the House-Brackmann scale. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, appearance, and pain. Results Final outcomes were assessed for 496 of 551 patients who underwent randomization. At 3 months, the proportions of patients who had recovered facial function were 83.0% in the prednisolone group as compared with 63.6% among patients who did not receive prednisolone (P