Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy

Abstract Background Bell’s palsy is common neurological disease. It is treated mainly by steroids with different physiotherapy (PT) modalities such as electrical stimulation, massage, exercise, and infrared. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) also showed promising results. In this study, we aimed to inv...

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Main Authors: Osama Yacoub, Mona Hussein, Rehab Magdy, Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed, Hanaa Ali Hafez, Doaa Mekkawy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-06-01
Series:The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-025-00985-2
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author Osama Yacoub
Mona Hussein
Rehab Magdy
Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed
Hanaa Ali Hafez
Doaa Mekkawy
author_facet Osama Yacoub
Mona Hussein
Rehab Magdy
Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed
Hanaa Ali Hafez
Doaa Mekkawy
author_sort Osama Yacoub
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Bell’s palsy is common neurological disease. It is treated mainly by steroids with different physiotherapy (PT) modalities such as electrical stimulation, massage, exercise, and infrared. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) also showed promising results. In this study, we aimed to investigate relevant factors related to the patients, disease, and treatment to explore their prognostic values in Egyptian patients. Results The age ranged from 24 to 50, with a median of 39. Two (1.4%) patients were pregnant. Hypertension (HTN) was the most common comorbidity found in 49.3%, followed by diabetes mellitus (DM) then ischemic heart disease (IHD). Around 98.6% of cases had unilateral palsy. The majority (81.2%) of cases were treated with steroids, and around 50% of cases received added-on laser physiotherapy. Around two-thirds (65.9%) of cases had a favorable outcome. Old age, DM, hepatic disorder, and pregnancy were associated with poor recovery, while steroids and laser therapy were associated with good outcomes. The regression model revealed that treatment with steroids and laser therapy increased the odds of favorable outcome by 4.317 (CI: 1.533–12.157) and 2.238 (CI: 1.019–4.915) times, respectively. Conclusions Old age, comorbid diseases, and pregnancy worsen the prognosis. However, steroid and laser physiotherapy improve outcomes and better recovery.
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spelling doaj-art-a5259d43ce8d4e759bae50139dbc255e2025-08-20T03:47:24ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery1687-83292025-06-016111910.1186/s41983-025-00985-2Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsyOsama Yacoub0Mona Hussein1Rehab Magdy2Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed3Hanaa Ali Hafez4Doaa Mekkawy5Neurology Department, Faculty of medicine, Cairo UniversityNeurology Department, Faculty of medicine, Beni-Suef UniversityNeurology Department, Faculty of medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment for Internal Medicine Disorders and Geriatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Ahram Canadian UniversityDepartment for Musculoskeletal Disorders and Their Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Nahda UniversityNeurology Department, Faculty of medicine, Cairo UniversityAbstract Background Bell’s palsy is common neurological disease. It is treated mainly by steroids with different physiotherapy (PT) modalities such as electrical stimulation, massage, exercise, and infrared. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) also showed promising results. In this study, we aimed to investigate relevant factors related to the patients, disease, and treatment to explore their prognostic values in Egyptian patients. Results The age ranged from 24 to 50, with a median of 39. Two (1.4%) patients were pregnant. Hypertension (HTN) was the most common comorbidity found in 49.3%, followed by diabetes mellitus (DM) then ischemic heart disease (IHD). Around 98.6% of cases had unilateral palsy. The majority (81.2%) of cases were treated with steroids, and around 50% of cases received added-on laser physiotherapy. Around two-thirds (65.9%) of cases had a favorable outcome. Old age, DM, hepatic disorder, and pregnancy were associated with poor recovery, while steroids and laser therapy were associated with good outcomes. The regression model revealed that treatment with steroids and laser therapy increased the odds of favorable outcome by 4.317 (CI: 1.533–12.157) and 2.238 (CI: 1.019–4.915) times, respectively. Conclusions Old age, comorbid diseases, and pregnancy worsen the prognosis. However, steroid and laser physiotherapy improve outcomes and better recovery.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-025-00985-2
spellingShingle Osama Yacoub
Mona Hussein
Rehab Magdy
Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed
Hanaa Ali Hafez
Doaa Mekkawy
Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy
The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery
title Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy
title_full Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy
title_fullStr Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy
title_short Evaluation of prognostic factors in Egyptian patients suffering from Bell’s palsy
title_sort evaluation of prognostic factors in egyptian patients suffering from bell s palsy
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-025-00985-2
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