Does the Degree of the Mastoid Pneumatization Affect the Side of Bell Palsy?

Objective: The aim is to investigate the impact of degree of mastoid pneumatization on the affected side of Bell palsy (BP). Study Design: Retrospective study in tertiary academic hospital. Methods: In total, 52 patients who were diagnosed with as BP were included in the study. Each patient was staged using House–Brackmann (HB) staging system. All patients underwent temporal bone computed tomography imaging. House–Brackmann scores, side of the BP, and mastoid pneumatization of all of patients were evaluated in the present study. Results: Regarding the degree of the mastoid pneumatization, there were no significant differences between the affected side and the unaffected side (P = 0.439). The degree of the mastoid pneumatization of the affected side and the unaffected side did not differ between males and females (P = 0.918 for the affected side, P = 0.765 for the unaffected side, respectively). A negative correlation between the age and mastoid pneumatization of each side was found (P = 0.001, P = 0.025, respectively). There was no significant correlation between HB score and the degree of the mastoid pneumatization of each side (P = 0.789, P = 0.703). Conclusion: As a conclusion, the degree of the mastoid pneumatization is not one of the risk factors for BP. Further randomized studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm these findings. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Mustafa Çelik, MD, Bakirköy Dr Sadi Konuk Eğitim ve Araştirma Hastanesi, Zuhuratbaba Mah. Tevfik Sağlam Cad. No: 11, Bakirköy, 34147 Istanbul, Turkey; E-mail: dr.mcelik@yahoo.com Received 8 July, 2017 Accepted 1 December, 2017 The protocol for this study was approved by the hospital's local ethics committee (ethical committee number 2017/05/05). The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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