Cochrane · systematic review · CD001942
Corticosteroids for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis)
Madhok, VB, Gagyor, I, Daly, F, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2016 · Cochrane Library
NeuromuscularAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
4
current version
GRADE rated
4
No studies
0
Included studies
NR
No studies 0 · 0%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 0 · 0%Low 1 · 25%Moderate 2 · 50%High 1 · 25%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Corticosteroids compared to placebo or no treatment for Bell's palsy
Population: people with Bell's palsy
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Incomplete recovery ≥ 6 months after randomisation House‐Brackmann grading system and Sunnybrook scale Corticosteroids vs placebo or no treatment | RR 0.63 [0.5, 0.8] | 7 studies · 895 participants | High |
Cosmetically disabling persistent sequelae ≥ 6 months after randomisation Clinical assessment Corticosteroids vs placebo or no treatment | RR 0.96 [0.4, 2.29] | 2 studies · 75 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness, publication bias |
Motor synkinesis and crocodile tears Clinical assessment Corticosteroids vs placebo or no treatment | RR 0.64 [0.45, 0.91] | 3 studies · 485 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness, publication bias |
Adverse effects Corticosteroids vs placebo or no treatment | RR 1.04 [0.71, 1.51] | 3 studies · 715 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness, publication bias |