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Published on: November 7, 2020
Is There an Association between Bell Palsy in Pediatric Patients and COVID-19?
Mohamed E El-Deeb1, Saad Elzayat1, Abeer Salamah2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kafrelsheikh University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh, Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, Egypt.
Insights
This study found no direct link between Bell palsy (BP) and COVID-19 in children. However, children with COVID-19 showed faster recovery from facial palsy.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Bell palsy (BP) is a common idiopathic facial nerve disorder.
- The association between COVID-19 and BP in pediatric populations remains unclear.
- Previous studies show conflicting evidence regarding COVID-19 as a cause of neuropathies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between COVID-19 infection and pediatric Bell palsy.
- To analyze the recovery patterns of pediatric Bell palsy cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of pediatric patients with acute unilateral facial weakness.
- RT-PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 at the time of Bell palsy diagnosis.
- Follow-up assessment of recovery at 1, 3, and 6 months.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant association was found between COVID-19 infection and Bell palsy incidence.
- Pediatric patients with COVID-19 demonstrated a trend towards more rapid early recovery from Bell palsy.
- The incidence of Bell palsy showed no significant change during the study period (2017-2021).
Conclusions:
- The study did not establish a causal link between COVID-19 and pediatric Bell palsy.
- Recovery patterns in pediatric Bell palsy during the pandemic were similar to pre-pandemic observations.
- While not associated, COVID-19 may influence the speed of Bell palsy recovery in children.
Abstract:
Introduction Bell palsy (BP) is an acquired, idiopathic facial palsy linked to lower motor neuron malfunction of the seventh cranial nerve. Several studies have identified BP as one of the many neuropathies that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have developed, while other studies disagree. Objective To study if there is an association between BP in pediatric patients and COVID-19, and to examine the pattern of recovery in all pediatric cases of BP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study on pediatric patients with acute onset unilateral facial weakness of unknown etiology (BP) during the pandemic period. All included patients were submitted to a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test through nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the time of the BP diagnosis. Results No significant differences were found regarding COVID-19 infection and recovery from BP at the first, third, or sixth months of follow-up. According to the results, it seems that there is no association between COVID-19 infection and facial palsy; however, the patients infected with COVID-19 in the sample experienced a rapid, early recovery from BP. The mean incidence of BP in 5 years (2017-2021) was of 1.73/100 thousand individuals, with a statistically insignificant change throughout the years. Conclusion We were not able to show any association between BP and COVID-19. The patients underwent follow-up for up to 6 months, and we studied their patterns of recovery from BP, which were like those observed before the pandemic.
