Aydın, ŞükrüFırat Koca, ÇiğdemÇelik, TurgutKelleş, MehmetYaşar, Şeyma2022-07-212022-07-212022Aydin, S., Koca, C. F., Celik, T., Kelles, M., & Yasar, S. (2022). Peripheral facial paralysis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medicine, 11(2), 666-71.https://doi.org/10.5455/medscience.2021.11.365https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12899/1166Received 03 November 2021; Accepted 19 January 2022.Copyright@Author(s) - Available online at www.medicinescience.org Content of this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.The mechanism surrounding idiopathic peripheral facial nerve paralysis remains unclear, though viral infections and even immunizations have been suspected of its origin. Thus, the relationship between COVID-19 and facial paralysis should be studied. With this research, we aimed to investigate the characteristics of facial paralysis during the COVID-19 illness as well as the relationship between facial paralysis and COVID-19, the length of time needed for recovery, concurrence with COVID-19 infection, and whether facial paralysis is a late complication or initial symptom of the disease. Forty-five patients thought to have had idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis were included in the study. Pure tone audiometry, COVID-19 PCR tests, and contrast-enhanced ear MRIs were performed on all participants. A standard prednisolone treatment protocol was followed. Participants were monitored for one month; we recorded whether they had COVID-19 previously, initially, or contracted it within the one-month testing period. At the same time, facial paralysis recovery rates were recorded and used in statistical analyses. PCR test at initial admission was reported as positive for COVID-19 in only one participant (2.2%). We discovered an improvement delay regarding facial paralysis in participants who had had COVID-19 previously (p<0.001). Prednisolone therapy used for peripheral facial paralysis did not pose an additional risk for COVID-19. Having had COVID-19 previously may cause delayed recovery of peripheral facial paralysis. Peripheral facial paralysis may be both a late manifestation as well as an early symptom of COVID-19.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessCOVID-19PandemicPeripheral facial paralysisPrednisolone therapySARS-CoV-2Article10.5455/medscience.2021.11.365112666671