title: Comparison of acyclovir and famciclovir for the treatment of Bell's palsy.
abstract: The relative effectiveness of acyclovir and famciclovir in the treatment of Bell's palsy is unclear. This study therefore compared recovery outcomes in patients with Bell's palsy treated with acyclovir and famciclovir. The study cohort consisted of patients with facial palsy who visited the outpatient clinic between January 2006 and January 2014. Patients were treated with prednisolone plus either acyclovir (n = 457) or famciclovir (n = 245). Patient outcomes were measured using the House-Brackmann scale according to initial severity of disease and underlying disease. The overall recovery rate tended to be higher in the famciclovir than in the acyclovir group. The rate of recovery in patients with initially severe facial palsy (grades V and VI) was significantly higher in the famciclovir than in the acyclovir group (p = 0.01), whereas the rates of recovery in patients with initially moderate palsy (grade III-IV) were similar in the two groups. The overall recovery rates in patients without hypertension or diabetes mellitus were higher in the famciclovir than in the acyclovir group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Treatment with steroid plus famciclovir was more effective than treatment with steroid plus acyclovir in patients with severe facial palsy. Famciclovir may be the antiviral agent of choice in the treatment of patients with severe facial palsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otohinolaryngology, H & N Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otohinolaryngology, H & N Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Junyang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Science and Engineering Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species, BK-21, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otohinolaryngology, H & N Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.affiliation: Department of Otohinolaryngology, H & N Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Suh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Otohinolaryngology, H & N Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-702, Korea. yeo2park@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Seung Geun
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Yeo
mesh_terms: D015075:2-Aminopurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000077595:Famciclovir; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D015075:2-Aminopurine; D011239:Prednisolone; D000077595:Famciclovir; D000212:Acyclovir
keywords: Acyclovir; Bell’s palsy; Electroneurography; Famciclovir; Steroid