a prospective study of 228 cases of bell's palsy

two hundred and twenty-eight patients who had developed bell's palsy were investigated in a prospective study. among them, 55% were male and 45% were female. the most common age of the disease onset was the third and beginning of the fourth decade of life. we found definite correlation between bell's palsy, hypertension, and diabetes its recurrence rate was 9%. the most important complication was facial asymmetry that remained in 15% of the patients. the most common symptom prior to the development of facial palsy was the existence of pain in the back of ears and neck. our patients responded well to 8 mg dexamethasone administered for a period of one week