Seasonal Pattern of Bell's Palsy Incidence in a Post-COVID-19 Context

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the seasonal effects on the incidence of Bell's palsy (BP), and to determine whether the rates fluctuate with changing seasons, particularly following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 267 confirmed BP cases between January 2020 and December 2023. Data were collected on the onset dates, demographic information, and seasonal distribution of the cases. Cases were categorized based on their seasonal occurrence to identify trends and variations. Results: The study group included 137 males and 130 females, representing 51.3% and 48.7% of the sample, respectively. The mean age was 45.71±16.11 for males, and 47.51±19.27 years for females, with no significant difference (p=0.408). The overall mean age was 46.58±17.71 years. Although there was no statistically significant difference between seasons (p=0.322), a notable increase in BP incidence was observed in spring (28.8%) and summer (26.6%). The highest number of cases was observed in June and March. No significant difference was found in seasonal variations of BP incidence in terms of age (p=0.691) and gender (p=0.905). Conclusion: Contrary to conventional beliefs associated with BP in colder climates, findings of this study indicate a higher incidence of BP during warmer seasons, particularly in spring and summer. This trend might have been influenced by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results underscore the need for comprehensive studies to explore the interplay between environmental factors, viral pandemics such as COVID-19, and BP pathogenesis, potentially leading to better prevention and management strategies.

Keywords

• Facial paralysis
• seasonal variation
• COVID-19

COVID-19 Sonrası Bağlamında Bell Felci İnsidansının Mevsimsel Görülme Şekli

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Bell's palsy (BP) insidansı üzerine mevsimsel etkileri araştırmak ve oranların değişen mevsimlere göre, özellikle koronavirüs hastalığı 2019 (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) salgını sonrasında, dalgalanıp dalgalanmadığını belirlemektir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Ocak 2020 ile Aralık 2023 tarihleri arasında 267 doğrulanmış BP vakası üzerinde retrospektif bir analiz yapılmıştır. Vakaların başlangıç tarihleri, demografik bilgileri ve mevsimsel dağılımları hakkında veriler toplanmıştır. Eğilimleri ve varyasyonları belirlemek için vakalar mevsimsel oluşumlarına göre kategorize edilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışma grubuna, sırasıyla örneklemin %51,3 ve %48,7'sini temsil eden 137 erkek ve 130 kadın dahil edildi. Yaş ortalaması erkeklerde 45,71±16,11 ve kadınlarda 47,51±19,27 yıl olup aralarında anlamlı bir farklılık yoktu (p=0,408). Genel yaş ortalaması ise 46,58±17,71 yıl idi. Mevsimler arasında istatistiksel anlamlı bir farklılık olmamakla birlikte (p=0,322), ilkbahar (%28,8) ve yaz (%26,6) aylarında BP insidansında belirgin bir artış olduğu görüldü. En yüksek vaka sayıları Haziran ve Mart aylarında gözlendi. BP insidansındaki mevsimsel varyasyonlarda, yaşa (p=0,691) ve cinsiyete (p=0,905) göre anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmadı. Sonuç: Soğuk iklimlerde BP ile ilişkili geleneksel inanışların aksine, bu çalışmanın bulguları daha sıcak mevsimlerde, özellikle ilkbahar ve yaz aylarında BP görülme sıklığının daha yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu eğilim, COVID-19 salgını sonrasında yaşananlardan etkilenmiş olabilir. Bu sonuçlar, çevresel faktörler, COVID-19 gibi viral pandemiler ve BP patogenezi arasındaki etkileşimi araştırmak için kapsamlı çalışmalara duyulan ihtiyacın altını çizmekte ve potansiyel olarak daha iyi önleme ve yönetim stratejilerine yol açmaktadır.

Keywords

• Fasiyal paralizi
• mevsimsel varyasyon
• COVID-19

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