Hira Qureshi, Divya Balchander, Claudia I Cabrera, Eve Tranchito, Amanda Goslawski, Derek Vos, Benjamin Johnson, Nicole Fowler, Akina Tamaki, Cyrus C Rabbani
BACKGROUND: While the etiology of Bell's palsy (BP) is largely unknown, current evidence shows it may occur secondary to the immune response following a viral infection. Recently, BP has been reported as a clinical manifestation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). OBJECTIVES: To investigate an association between COVID-19 infection and BP. Additionally, to evaluate the need for COVID-19 testing in patients who present with BP. METHODS: Hospital records of patients who presented to a single tertiary care center with BP in 2020 and 2021 were reviewed for presenting symptoms, demographics, COVID-19 infection and vaccination status...
July 17, 2023: American Journal of Otolaryngology