Assessment of Hematological Parameters and The Relationship with Paralysis Degree in Children with Idiopathic Peripheral Facial Paralysis

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Bell's palsy, also known as idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis, is the most common cause of unilateral facial weakness that is not accompanied by any other neurological finding. Although the pathogenesis of Bell palsy is not fully understood, inflammation is thought to play an important role. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean mean platelet volume (MPV), are among the markers used to determination of inflammation. The study aimed to investigate the presence of any clues suggesting inflammatory etiology using NLR, PLR, MPV, and red cell distribution width (RDW) in children with Bell's palsy and to determine whether there was any relationship between these markers and the degree of paralysis. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2018 and January 2020 with 25 children with Bell's palsy and 25 randomly selected healthy controls. Two groups were compared in terms of neutrophil count, NLR, PLR, MPV, and RDW levels. RESULTS: Mean neutrophil, leukocyte counts, and NLR were statistically significantly higher in patients with Bell Palsy than in the control group (p=0.001, p = 0.016, respectively). However, no significant relationship was found between the NLR elevation and the severity of facial paralysis in the patient group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean of lymphocyte count, PLR, MPV, and RDW values. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The increase in NLR and neutrophil count in children with Bell palsy supports the inflammatory process thought to be responsible for the etiopathogenesis of this disease.

Keywords

• children
• bell's palsy
• neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio
• platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio
• mean platelet volume