Comparison of the efficacy of various doses of steroids for acute facial palsy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although steroids are effective for multiple types of acute facial palsies, an appropriate dosage remains to be established. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of high, low, and moderate doses of steroids in patients with acute facial palsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 49 patients with Bell palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, or traumatic facial palsy. The patients were divided into 3 groups. We determined the initial House-Brackmann (HB) grade of each patient and the HB grade at the 3-month follow-up to determine whether complete recovery was achieved. RESULTS: Results of electroneurography showed that the average and maximum rates of degeneration were not statistically different among the groups. Although the HB grade showed improvement after 3 months, the initial score was not significantly different from that at the follow-up. The degree of recovery was not significantly different among the groups. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings showed that a high dose of steroids did not achieve outcomes that were more clinically meaningful than did that of a moderate or a low-dose steroid. Therefore, moderate or low doses of steroids may be sufficient for the treatment of acute facial palsy.