[The incidence of facial canal dehiscence in Bell's palsy patients].
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we compared the incidence of facial canal dehiscence in patients with idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) with a healthy population.


METHODS
Forty-five patients who were defined as idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis between May 2011 and June 2012 were enrolled the study. The clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients were noted. Spiral computed tomography (CT) was used for the study with a slice thickness of 1 mm and slice gap of 0.5 mm. Fifty patients having no middle ear pathology who underwent temporal CT due to other reasons were enrolled in the study as control group. The both groups were compared by means of demographic characteristics and the presence of the facial canal dehiscence.


RESULTS
The incidence of facial canal dehiscence was 42% in the control group, while the incidence of the facial canal dehiscence in the study group at the paralyzed side was 46.7%. Although the incidence of the facial canal dehiscence in the study group was higher than the control group, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p=0.802). When the incidence of bilateral facial canal dehiscence in the study group (22.2%) and the control group (0%) was compared, the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the incidence of the facial canal dehiscence in the patients with Bell's palsy was higher than the control group, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. The incidence of the bilateral facial canal dehiscence of the study group was significantly higher than the healthy population.
Department of Otolaryngology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, No: 89, 06340 Altındağ, Ankara, Turkey. suledemirci1@yahoo.com.tr.
Şule
Ş
Demirci
Aydın
A
Kurt
Arzu
A
Tüzüner
Ethem Erdal
EE
Samim
Refik
R
Çaylan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult