Hematologic parameters as predictive markers in pediatric Bell's palsy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Hematology
• Inflammatory Markers

Background:

• Bell's palsy (BP) is an idiopathic facial nerve paralysis affecting children.
• Identifying prognostic markers in pediatric BP is crucial for management.
• Hematological parameters offer potential insights into disease outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze hematological parameters in pediatric patients with Bell's palsy.
• To identify the most effective prognostic marker for Bell's palsy recovery in children.

Main Methods:

• Studied 59 pediatric patients with Bell's palsy, divided into recovery and non-recovery groups, plus 65 healthy controls.
• Assessed age, white blood cell (WBC) count, hemoglobin (Hbg), mean platelet volume (MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR).
• Utilized receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine the most valuable prognostic marker.

Main Results:

• WBC, NLR, PLR, and CAR were significantly higher in BP patients compared to controls.
• Both CAR and NLR were significantly higher in the non-recovery group versus the recovery group.
• CAR demonstrated a stronger association with poor prognosis than NLR in pediatric Bell's palsy.

Conclusions:

• Elevated NLR and CAR levels in pediatric Bell's palsy may correlate with unfavorable outcomes.
• The C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) is identified as a superior prognostic indicator for poor recovery in pediatric Bell's palsy compared to NLR.