{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,28]],"date-time":"2025-08-28T12:18:51Z","timestamp":1756383531259,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"12","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["DTB"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Each year in the UK around 1 in 5,000 people develop Bell's palsy\u2014idiopathic unilateral lower motor neurone facial\u00a0weakness of rapid onset. Although about 70% recover spontaneously, the remaining 30% are at risk of complications;<jats:sup>1<\/jats:sup> 13% have residual slight weakness and about 16% have persistent moderate to severe weakness if not treated.<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup> As we have discussed in two previous articles there has been longstanding controversy about the best form of treatment.<jats:sup>2,3<\/jats:sup> In 2006 we concluded that published trials on the efficacy of drug treatments have been poor and no firm conclusions can be drawn about the benefit of any single drug;<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup> in 2008 we noted that evidence suggests\u00a0oral prednisolone started within 72 hours of symptom onset makes recovery more likely and that there was little good evidence that an antiviral drug helps.<jats:sup>3<\/jats:sup> The place of antivirals in the management of Bell's palsy remains a controversial issue. In this article we review the evidence for antiviral therapy alone or in conjunction with corticosteroid treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2013.12.0222","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,12,5]],"date-time":"2013-12-05T22:06:45Z","timestamp":1386281205000},"page":"138-140","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Antivirals for Bell's palsy?"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"51","member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,12,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3109\/13550280903552446","article-title":"Herpes simplex virus type 1 and Bell's palsy\u2014a current assessment of the controversy","volume":"16","author":"Kennedy","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Neurovirol"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2006.44749"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2008.06.0015"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autrev.2012.05.008","article-title":"Bell's palsy and autoimmunity","volume":"12","author":"Greco","year":"2012","journal-title":"Autoimmun Rev"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Salinas RA . Corticosteroids for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010; 3: CD001942. DOI:10.1002\/14651858.CD001942.pub4 [Last assessed as up-to-date 8 December 2008].","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD001942.pub4"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2009.1243"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0b013e318275978c"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Quant EC . The benefits of steroids versus steroids plus antivirals for treatment of Bell's palsy: a meta-analysis. BMJ 2009; 339: b3354.","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.b3354"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Correction to Quant EC et\u00a0al. The benefits of steroids versus steroids plus antivirals for treatment of Bell's palsy: a meta-analysis. BMJ 2013; 346: f151.","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.f151"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lockhart P . Antiviral treatment for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009; 4: CD001869. DOI:10.1002\/14651858.CD001869.pub4 [Last assessed as up-to-date 24 February 2009].","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD001869.pub4"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2377-11-1"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa072006"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(08)70221-7"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"901","DOI":"10.1002\/lary.23210","article-title":"Prediction of nonrecovery in Bell's palsy using Sunnybrook grading","volume":"122","author":"Marsk","year":"2012","journal-title":"Laryngoscope"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjoto.2007.05.001"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjmed.2012.08.020"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/MAO.0b013e3181cabd90"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"509","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(09)70114-0","article-title":"Is antiviral medication for severe Bell's palsy still useful?","volume":"8","author":"de Ru","year":"2009","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-4486.2012.02526.x"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.20","first-page":"307","article-title":"Prednisolone or acyclovir in Bell's palsy","volume":"358","author":"Sullivan","year":"2008","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/fampra\/cmn107"},{"key":"2025082701232095000_51.12.138.22","unstructured":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2013. 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