title: Correlates of degree of nerve involvement in early Bell's palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to evaluate the still unknown factors correlating with the degree of nerve involvement in early Bell's palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective chart review study of newly diagnosed cases of Bell's palsy was conducted over a three-year period. Information on age, sex, day of onset, comorbidities, corticosteroid use, and electroneurographic test results were collected. The electroneurographic quotient (amplitude of compound muscle action potential on the affected side divided by that on the healthy side and expressed in percent) was used as an index of nerve involvement, with lower quotient indicating more severe disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected on 563 patients. The mean electroneurographic quotient varied inversely with age (p < 0.001) and was higher in patients who used corticosteroids than those who did not (47.1% vs. 40.3%; p = 0.002). There was no correlation between the degree of nerve involvement and sex, season of onset, hypertension, or diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The degree of nerve involvement in early Bell's palsy correlates positively with age and negatively with corticosteroid use.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. M001052@ms.skh.org.tw
authors.forename: Ru-Lan
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chia-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ling-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Chung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult