A Clinical Study on the Factors Related with the Sequelae of Facial Palsy

Objectives : In order to apply useful data to clinical practice, we undertook this study and tried to find factors related with sequelae of facial palsy in relation with patients' age and gender distribution, past history with the disease, condition before onset, duration of recovery time, existence of remaining sequelae, types of the sequelae, and duration for sequelae to disappear. Methods : We evaluated patients' condition (fatigue, stress, chills, cold and so on), past history (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, herpes zoster, cancer and so on), duration of recovery time, types of the sequelae, age and sequelae distribution as to when the treatments were started as we examined 473 patients who were diagnosed with facial palsy, and visited the Out-patient Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Bundang Oriental Medicine Hospital of Dongguk University through 2003 and 2004. Results : The sequelae of facial palsy were not significantly relevant to the signs found before facial palsy occurred(fatigue, stress, chills, and cold), or to patients' past history (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, facial palsy, herpes zoster). The duration of recovery time was within 30 days for 45.3% of the patients examined in this study, and within 90 days for 72.6%. Evaluating the existence of sequelae in relation to age, we found more in the group comprised of patients aged 50 and over than under 50. We found more sequelae in the group which is consisted of patients who had not been treated until 6 days after than within 5 days from the onset. Conclusion: Attention to sequelae will be needed for patients aged 50 and over and who were not treated until 6 days after the onset, as they had more sequelae.