Epidemiologic and Clinical Features of Bell’s Palsy among Children in Northern California

Abstract

Background: Bell’s palsy (BP) is an acute, idiopathic, and usually unilateral paralysis of the facial nerve. Large population-based studies of BP among children are lacking. We determined epidemiologic and clinical features of BP among children enrolled in a large integrated health care delivery system. Methods: From 2001 through 2006, all children ≤18 years of age diagnosed with BP within the population of Kaiser Permanente Northern California were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, code 351.0. All cases were adjudicated by an otolaryngologist and categorized as definite, probable, or rejected. Using chart abstraction forms, epidemiologic and clinical features of BP were determined. Results: Of a total of 977 cases initially identified, 822 (84.1%) were adjudicated as a definite or probable case. The overall incidence rate of BP during the study period was 18.8 (95% CI 17.6–20.2) per 100,000 person-years. The incidence rate increased by age and was higher in females than males across all age strata. There was no evidence for a seasonal pattern in the occurrence of BP (p for trend = 0.81). Conclusions: BP among children may be more common than previously recognized.

Facial nerve palsy in children: A retrospective study of 124 cases

“…The present study has also revealed that females had a greater incidence of FNP than males. A similar result has also been reported in other studies . However, other studies have shown that there is no predominance in gender in childhood FNP …”

Inpatient treatment of patients with acute idiopathic peripheral facial palsy: A population‐based healthcare research study

“…Population-based studies on treatment of IFP are rare, often outdated and mainly related to epidemiological questions. [16][17][18] The median age of 50 years and a slightly higher proportion of male patients are in accordance with actual data from northern Italy, 17 but the patients from Rochester, Minnesota were slightly more often women younger with a mean age of 40 years in 1968 to 1982. 16 In the hallmark Scottish and Swedish trials, the patients were also slightly more often male with a mean age of 44 years and 40 years, respectively.…”

Clinical Practice Guideline: Bell's Palsy Executive Summary

“…7 In one integrated health system, the incidence of Bell's palsy in children 18 years or younger was 18.8 per 100,000 personyears in a 5-year study. 8 In that study, the incidence rate increased by age and was higher in females than males across 506835O TOXXX10.1177/0194599813506835Otol aryngology-Head and Neck SurgeryBaugh et al 2013© The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Clinical Practice Guideline: Bell's Palsy all age strata. Although Bell's palsy is seen in patients across a large age spectrum, the incidence was noted to be highest in the 15-to 45-year-old age group.…”