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European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
Published in: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 10/2016

01-10-2016 | Otology

Comparison of acyclovir and famciclovir for the treatment of Bell’s palsy

Authors: Ho Joong Kim, Sang Hoon Kim, Junyang Jung, Sung Su Kim, Jae Yong Byun, Moon Suh Park, Seung Geun Yeo

Published in: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology | Issue 10/2016

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Abstract

The relative effectiveness of acyclovir and famciclovir in the treatment of Bell’s palsy is unclear. This study therefore compared recovery outcomes in patients with Bell’s palsy treated with acyclovir and famciclovir. The study cohort consisted of patients with facial palsy who visited the outpatient clinic between January 2006 and January 2014. Patients were treated with prednisolone plus either acyclovir (n = 457) or famciclovir (n = 245). Patient outcomes were measured using the House-Brackmann scale according to initial severity of disease and underlying disease. The overall recovery rate tended to be higher in the famciclovir than in the acyclovir group. The rate of recovery in patients with initially severe facial palsy (grades V and VI) was significantly higher in the famciclovir than in the acyclovir group (p = 0.01), whereas the rates of recovery in patients with initially moderate palsy (grade III–IV) were similar in the two groups. The overall recovery rates in patients without hypertension or diabetes mellitus were higher in the famciclovir than in the acyclovir group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Treatment with steroid plus famciclovir was more effective than treatment with steroid plus acyclovir in patients with severe facial palsy. Famciclovir may be the antiviral agent of choice in the treatment of patients with severe facial palsy.
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Metadata
Title
Comparison of acyclovir and famciclovir for the treatment of Bell’s palsy
Authors
Ho Joong Kim
Sang Hoon Kim
Junyang Jung
Sung Su Kim
Jae Yong Byun
Moon Suh Park
Seung Geun Yeo
Publication date
01-10-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology / Issue 10/2016
Print ISSN: 0937-4477
Electronic ISSN: 1434-4726
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-3927-3

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