[Outcome of treatment 46 patients with Bell's palsy with aciclovir and prednisone].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome of treatment with an antiviral drug in combination with corticosteroids in patients with Bell's palsy.


METHODS
46 patients with Bell's palsy were randomly divided into two groups, aciclovir and prednisone group (A+P group, n=23) and prednisone group (P group, n=23). The patients in A+P group were treated with 0.4g of aciclovir tablets 3 times per day for 5 days and 50 mg of prednisone daily for 5 days, and the patients in P group were treated with 50 mg of prednisone daily for 5 days, and then the dosage of prednisone was reduced by 20 mg per two days for the next 10 days. Facial nerve function index (FNFI) was used as a evaluating method of the outcome.


RESULTS
12 patients (52.1%) in the A+P group recovered completely (FNFI=1), as compared with 5 patients (21.7%) in the P group (P<0.05) after treatment three weeks, and 21 patients (91.3%) in the A+P group comparing with 18 patients (78.3%) in the P group (P>0.05) after treatment four weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed a significantly better outcome in the patients with Bell's palsy treated with aciclovir and predisone as compared with the patient given prednisone treatment without serious complications.
Chen
Wei-liang
WL
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, SUN Yat-sen University. Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China. drchen@vip.163.com
Yang
Zhao-hui
ZH
Huang
Zhi-quan
ZQ
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone; D000212:Acyclovir