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Increased incidence of idiopathic paediatric facial palsy during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Part of: JLO Coronavirus Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2021

E S Hogg ,
T Hampton ,
I Street ,
R Clarke ,
K Wright ,
S De  and
S D Sharma
E S Hogg*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
T Hampton
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
I Street
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
R Clarke
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
K Wright
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
S De
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
S D Sharma
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Miss E S Hogg, Department of ENT, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, LiverpoolL12 2AP, UK E-mail: e.hogg2@nhs.net
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Abstract

Background

Bell's palsy is a lower motor neurone facial weakness of unknown aetiology, although reactivation of a virus within the facial nerve has been proposed.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted of Bell's palsy cases presenting to our paediatric ENT unit over a 19-week period, from February to June 2020. Patients were invited for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody testing. A text-message questionnaire was sent to other ENT centres to determine their observational experience.

Results

During the study period, 17 children presented with Bell's palsy, compared with only 3 children in the same time period in the previous year (p < 0.0001). Five patients underwent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody testing, the results of which were all negative. Four out of 15 centres questioned perceived an increased incidence in paediatric Bell's palsy.

Conclusion

Clinicians are encouraged to be vigilant to the increase in paediatric Bell's palsy seen during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which may represent a post-viral sequela of coronavirus disease 2019.

Keywords

Facial Nerve DisordersPalsyBell's PalsyCoronavirusCOVID-19Pediatrics
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 135 , Issue 8 , August 2021 , pp. 668 - 670
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Miss E S Hogg takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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