title: Prediction of the prognosis of Bell's palsy using multivariate analyses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to establish more reliable formulae for predicting the prognosis for patients with Bell's palsy at initial examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred four consecutive patients with Bell's palsy whose facial movement was either completely recovered or unchanged for more than 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnostic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariate analyses were performed using the following variables: Age, House-Brackmann score (H-B), electroneuronography (ENoG), nerve excitability test (NET), blink reflex, and stapedial muscle reflex on initial examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Duration to maximal recovery can be predicted with the adjusted coefficient of 0.51 using H-B, ENoG, stapedial muscle reflex, and NET. Whether complete recovery would be achieved can be predicted with the Nagelkerke coefficient of determination of 0.72 using age, H-B, ENoG, and NET.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggested that the prognosis of patients who recovered early can be predicted more precisely; however, the prognosis of patients who recovered late and incomplete could not be predicted easily.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. IZT01356@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ushio
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Naonobu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tojima
authors.forename: Takuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kimitaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome