A High Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is Associated with Recovery from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome

Prediction of the severity and outcomes of Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is difficult.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive power of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for the severity and outcomes of RHS.

From 2007 to 2017, a retrospective study of 102 hospitalized patients with RHS was conducted. The degree of paralysis was assessed by determining the House-Brackmann (H-B) grade. Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were assessed, and the blood NLR and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were determined. The patients received steroids and antivirals, and were followed in the outpatient department at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks.

The H-B grade of the high-NLR group was significantly higher than that of the normal-NLR group (p = 0.039), and the probability of complete recovery was significantly lower in the high-NLR group (p = 0.048).

Patients with RHS who have an elevated NLR have poor outcomes in terms of the H-B grade. Therefore, the NLR may be useful for evaluating the prognosis of patients with RHS.