Facial paralysis as the only symptom of COVID-19: A prospective study

PURPOSE: Idiopathic facial palsy is called as Bell's palsy and reports showed that facial paralysis increased during COVID-19 pandemic period. There are many reports about the relationship between COVID-19 and facial paralysis but there is no prospective study. SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies increase in COVID-19. Our purpose is to investigate SARS-CoV-2 IgG + IgM antibody in the Bell's palsy. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional study was planned. Patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis with no reason and diagnosed as Bell's palsy was included in the study. In order to investigate SARS-CoV-2 in the etiologies of these patients, SARS-CoV-2 IgM + IgG (total) test was studied. SARS-CoV-2 IgG + IgM was measured by using the ADVIA Centaur® test kit. Test reports result in index values and as nonreactive or reactive. The results were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 41,7. 17 (41,4%) were female and 24 (58,6%) were male. 21 patients had left-sided; 20 had right-sided paralysis. SARS-CoV-2 IgG + IgM values were measured two times of the patients. First control was in the first week of facial paralysis, 10 (24,3%) positivity was found. The average index of the positive patients were 6,74 (min.1,39–max.10) in the first control and 9,585 in the second control (min.8,7–max. 10). CONCLUSION: We found that the SARS-CoV-2 IgM + IgG antibody test was positive in 24.3% of the patients with Bell's palsy. The results are higher than the seroprevalence studies conducted in asymptomatic individuals. Facial paralysis could be the only symptom of COVID-19 but further studies must be done.