Abstract
Stapedial reflex (SR) measurement was made in 69 patients with fresh Bell's palsy of one week duration or less. The results were compared with electrodiagnostic findings (NET, S-D curve) and recording scores of facial palsy. In 46 of the 69 (67%), the SR was absent at the first examination. The remaining 23 with positive SR were diagnosed to be neurapraxia by the electrodiagnostic methods and their prognoses were excellent. Recovery of the SR usually occurred within four weeks. The mean curative days for the 35 cases with good prognosis were 26.3 days. Patients with positive SR were cured faster than those with negative SR. In nine of the 35 with good prognosis, the SR was absent even after the facial movements were restored to normal. The mean curative days of these nine patients were 23.4 days. In such cases the recovery of SR followed the normalization of facial movements, which may be attributable to the higher vulnerability of the stapedius muscle than facial muscles. SR measurement was concluded to be complementary in prognostic diagnosis of Bell's palsy.
