Oncostatin M Contributes to Airway Epithelial Cell Dysfunction in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a typical type-2 inflammation involving several cytokines and is associated with epithelial cell dysfunction. Oncostatin M (OSM) (belonging to the interleukin(IL)-6 family) could be a key driver of epithelial barrier dysfunction. Therefore, we investigated the presence of OSM and IL-6 and the expression pattern of tight junctions (TJs) in the nasal tissue of CRSwNP patients and controls using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. Then, their potential role in the epithelial barrier was evaluated in vitro in 27 different primary cultures of human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) by measuring TJ expression and transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) with or without OSM or IL-6 (1, 10, and 100 ng/mL). The effect on ciliary beating efficiency was evaluated by high-speed videomicroscopy and on repair mechanisms with a wound healing model with or without OSM. OSM and IL-6 were both overexpressed, and TJ (ZO-1 and occludin) expression was decreased in the nasal polyps compared to the control mucosa. OSM (100 ng/mL) but not IL-6 induced a significant decrease in TJ expression, TEER, and ciliary beating efficiency in HNECs. After 24 h, the wound repair rate was significantly higher in OSM-stimulated HNECs at 100 ng/mL. These results suggest that OSM could become a new target for monoclonal antibodies.

Necrotizing external otitis: analysis of relapse risk factors in 66 patients managed during a 12 year period.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing external otitis (NEO) is a severe infection of the skull base that occurs generally in the elderly and/or in diabetic recipients. There are few data in the literature about the therapeutic management of this complex bone infection. OBJECTIVES: To analyse relapses after NEO treatment completion, and to describe the clinical features of NEO. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study in the Lyon regional reference centre for the management of complex bone and joint infections. Consecutive cases of NEO from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2018 were included. The primary outcome was the relapse of NEO. Variables were analysed using Cox regression survival analysis with adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and Kaplan-Meier curve. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients were included. Median age was 75 (IQR 69-81) years and 46 (70%) patients were diabetic. Eleven patients (17%) had temporomandibular arthritis, 10 (15%) cranial nerve paralysis, 2 (3%) cerebral thrombophlebitis, and 2 (3%) contiguous abscess. Microbiological documentation was obtained in 56 patients and revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 44/56 patients (79%). Nine (14%) cases had no microbiological documentation. Antibiotic therapy was dual for 63 (95%) patients. During a median follow-up of 27 (IQR 12-40) months, 16 out of 63 (25%) patients experienced a relapse. Fungal infection was significantly associated with relapse [aHR 4.1 (95% CI 1.1-15); P = 0.03]. CONCLUSIONS: NEO is a severe bone infection, mainly (but not exclusively) caused by P. aeruginosa, which occurs in elderly and diabetic recipients. Fungal infections at baseline significantly impact the outcome.

Otoskills training during covid-19 pandemic: a before-after study.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the surgical training of residents. There is a real concern that trainees will not be able to meet their training requirements. Low-fidelity surgical simulation appears to be an alternative for surgical training. The educational benefits of repeating ossiculoplasty simulations under a microscope have never been evaluated. With this study we aimed to evaluate the differences in performance scores and on a global rating scale before and after training on an ossiculoplasty simulator. METHODS: In this quasi-experimental, prospective, single-centre, before-after study with blinded rater evaluation, residents performed five microscopic ossiculoplasty tasks with a difficulty gradient (sliding beads onto rods, the insertion of a partial prosthesis, the insertion of a total prosthesis, and the insertion of a stapedotomy piston under microscopic or endoscopic surgery) before and after training on the same simulator. Performance scores were defined for each task, and total performance scores (score/min) were calculated. All data were collected prospectively. RESULTS: Six out of seven intermediate residents and 8/9 novices strongly agreed that the simulator was an effective training device and should be included in the ENT residency program. The mean effect of training was a significant increase in the total performance score (+ 0.52 points/min, [95 % CI, 0.40-0.64], p < 0.001), without a significant difference between novice and intermediate residents. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study shows that techniques for middle-ear surgery can be acquired using a simulator, avoiding any risk for patients, even under lockdown measures.

Tolerance and safety of 45S5 bioactive glass used in obliteration procedures during middle ear surgery: Preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: Otologists face many disadvantages after extensive mastoid drilling and canal wall down technique in cholesteatoma surgery. Mastoid and epitympanic cavity obliterations or reconstructions after canal wall down procedure using bioactive glass seem to be an interesting solution to overcome some of these disadvantages. Bioactive glass offers many benefits including the availability when there are no sufficient autologous materials for obliteration, its antibacterial activity in chronic infected ear and decreasing the recidivism of cholesteatoma. The objective of this study is to evaluate the tolerance and safety of 45S5 bioactive glass as a filing bone-synthetic material by clinical, audiological and radiological examinations. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study of 42 patients who had undergone obliteration of mastoid or/and epitympanic cavity with 45S5 bioactive glass between, November 2017 to January 2019. Data from clinical follow-ups, audiological assessment, CT-scan and MRI were analyzed. RESULT: The patients' mean age was 49.8 years old. Microscopic examinations showed dry well-healed tympanic membranes and external auditory canals for 95.2% of the patients after 1 year. Inner ear injuries after obliteration were not observed by comparing pre and post-operative bone conduction audiometry (p value 0.457). No facial palsy was reported post-operatively. One-year postoperative radiological assessments did not reveal any silent implantation of cholesteatoma or residual disease. CONCLUSION: Mastoid and epitympanic obliterations with 45S5 bioactive glass seem to be a tolerable and safe option in cholesteatoma surgery with favorable outcomes similar to other member of bioactive glass especially the S53P4.

Is one of these two techniques: CO2 laser versus microdrill assisted stapedotomy results in better post-operative hearing outcome?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hearing results and outcome using two different surgical techniques (microdrill and CO2 Laser fenestration) in the treatment of conductive hearing loss in patients with otosclerosis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective audiometric database and chart review from January 2005 until December 2016. SETTING: Two tertiary referral hospitals MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven-hundred forty-two primary stapedotomy have been reviewed retrospectively in two referral hospitals. This multicenter study compared 424 patients operated for otosclerosis with microdrill technique and 318 patients operated with CO2 laser assisted stapedotomy. Preoperative and postoperative audiological assessment (following the recommendations of the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium) were compared between the two groups at least 6 weeks and at 1 year or more. Measure of overclosure and hearing damage have been analyzed and compared between the groups. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in demographic data between the two groups and no statistically significant difference in hearing outcome between the two groups. CO2 Laser with 0.4 piston showed slightly better results to close the air-bone gap postoperatively to ≤ 10 dB (84% as compared with the 80% of patients operated with microdrill technique). Patients operated with microdrill technique and 0.6 piston have less damage to hearing at 4 kHz. CONCLUSION: The use of CO2 laser seems associated with better postoperative air-bone gap closure. However, it carries more risk of hearing damage at 4 kHz at it is the case for the microdrill at 1 kHz. In general, postoperative hearing outcome using these two surgical techniques is comparable.

Non-invasive intraoperative monitoring of cochlear function by cochlear microphonics during cerebellopontine-angle surgery.

In vestibular-schwannoma (VS) surgery, hearing-preservation rate remains low. Besides damage to the cochlear nerve, intraoperative cochlear ischemia is a potential cause of hearing loss. Here, we used non-invasive cochlear microphonic (CM) recordings to detect the cochlear vascular events of VS surgery. Continuous intraoperative CM monitoring, in response to 80-95 dB SPL, 1-kHz tone-bursts, was performed in two samples of patients undergoing retrosigmoid cerebellopontine-angle surgery: one for VS (n = 31) and one for vestibular neurectomy or vasculo-neural conflict causing intractable trigeminal neuralgia, harmless to hearing (n = 19, control group). Preoperative and postoperative hearings were compared as a function of intraoperative CM changes and their chronology. Monitoring was possible throughout except for a few tens of seconds when drilling or suction noises occurred. Four patterns of CM time course were identified, eventless, fluctuating, abrupt or progressive decrease. Only the VS group displayed the last two patterns, mainly during internal-auditory-canal drilling and the ensuing tumor dissection, always with postoperative loss of hearing as an end result. Conversely, eventless and fluctuating CM patterns could be associated with postoperative hearing loss when the cochlear nerve had been reportedly damaged, an event that CM is not meant to detect. Cochlear ischemia is a frequent event in VS surgery that leads to deafness. The findings that CM decrease raised no false alarm, and that CM fluctuations, insignificant in control cases, were easily spotted, suggest that CM intraoperative monitoring is a sensitive tool that could profitably guide VS surgery.

A Retrospective Multicentre Cohort Review of Patient Characteristics and Surgical Aspects versus the Long-Term Outcomes for Recipients of a Fully Implantable Active Middle Ear Implant.

OBJECTIVE: To summarise treatment outcomes compared to surgical and patient variables for a multicentre recipient cohort using a fully implantable active middle ear implant for hearing impairment. To describe the authors' preferred surgical technique to determine microphone placement. STUDY DESIGN: Multicentre retrospective, observational survey. SETTING: Five tertiary referral centres. PATIENTS: Carina recipients (66 ears, 62 subjects) using the current Cochlear® Carina® System or the legacy device, the Otologics® Fully Implantable Middle Ear, with a T2 transducer. METHODS: Patient file review and routine clinical review. Patient outcomes assessed were satisfaction, daily use and feedback reports at the first fitting and ≥12 months after implantation. Descriptive and statistical analysis of correlations of variables and their influence on outcomes was performed. Independently reported preferred methods for microphone placement are collectively summarised. RESULTS: The average implant experience was 3.5 years. Satisfaction increased significantly over time (p < 0.05). No correlation with covariates examined was observed. Feedback significantly decreased over time, showing a significant correlation with microphone location, primary motivation, gender, age at implantation, and contralateral hearing aid use (p < 0.05). Patient satisfaction was inversely correlated with reports of system feedback (p < 0.05). The implantable microphone was most commonly on the posterior inferior mastoid line, in 42/66 (65%) cases, correlating with less likelihood for feedback and consistent with author surgical preference. CONCLUSION: Carina recipients in this study present as satisfied consistent daily users with very few reports of persistent feedback. As microphone location is an influencing factor, a careful surgical consideration of microphone placement is required. The authors prefer a posterior inferior mastoid line position whenever possible.

Revision stapes surgery for lysis of the long process of the incus: comparing hydroxyapatite bone cement versus malleovestibulopexy and total ossicular replacement prosthesis.

The objective of the study was to report audiological results in revision stapes surgery, comparing hydroxyapatite (HAP) bone cement, malleovestibular (MV) prosthesis, and total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP). The study is a retrospective case review conducted in a tertiary referral center. Patients treated for revision stapes surgery from 2010 to 2014, where a lysis of the long process of the incus (LPI) was observed with the use of HAP bone cement, MV prosthesis, or a TORP were included in the study. The main outcomes measured were pre- and postoperative bone conduction (BC) and air conduction (AC) pure-tone averages (PTA) (0.5, 1, 2, 3 kHz), including high frequencies BC (HFBC) (1, 2, 3, 4 kHz) and air-bone gap (ABG). 107 revision stapes surgery were performed in 96 ears. Main cause of failure was LPI lysis in 38 cases (39.6 %). 31 patients were analyzed: HAP bone cement was used in 11 patients (Group I), MV prosthesis in ten patients (Group II), and TORP in ten patients (Group III). The mean post-operative ABG was 10.7 dB (±7.4) (p = 0.003), 10.7 dB (±8.8) (p = 0.001), and 16.9 dB (±9.8) (p = 0.001), respectively. There were no significant differences between groups. In Group I, the mean change in HFBC revealed an improvement of 5.6 dB (±7.9) (p = 0.03), while in Group III there was a significant deterioration of the thresholds of 5.8 dB (±7.6) (p = 0.04). There were no cases of post-operative anacusis. In revision stapes surgery when LPI is eroded, we recommend to perform a cement ossiculoplasty for stabilizing a standard Teflon piston when LPI is still usable, the LPI lengthening with cement being not recommended. When LPI is too eroded, we prefer performing a malleovestibulopexy, and reserve TORP for cases with a bad anatomical presentation.

Experience of multidisciplinary team meetings in vestibular schwannoma: a preliminary report.

To assess the contribution of multidisciplinary team meetings (MTM) on vestibular schwannoma management as well as to (1) compare professional compliance to national guidelines and (2) study the percentage of loss to follow-up in cases of conservative management by radiologic observation. A retrospective descriptive study of MTMs held between January 2011 and May 2013 in a tertiary referral center. Patients were classified in three groups according to the MTM decision (observation, surgery or radiotherapy). A total of 363 cases were discussed during the study period (29 months). One hundred and ninety-four decisions (53.4%) were for conservative management with radiologic observation, 130 (35.8%) for surgery, and 39 (10.7%) for radiation therapy. The sex ratio was 0.94, and the patients had a median age of 59 years (range 18-86 years). Most of the vestibular schwannomas (74.2%) were small (stages I and II). Global concordance between the MTM decision and International Radiosurgery Association guidelines was 88.7%. Twenty-three percent of the 104 files that were discussed in MTMs between January 2011 and July 2012, for which conservative management was decided, were lost to follow-up by 18 months. Management of vestibular schwannoma remains controversial, but it usually depends on the evolutive status. MTMs improve practice and facilitate the creation and maintenance of local registries. Future studies in MTMs are warranted to evaluate the benefit and evaluated if MTM could optimize long-term follow-up, limiting loss to follow-up in the observation of vestibular schwannomas that may be evolutive.

Vestibular Assessment with the vHIT and Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Test in Patients with Nonprogressive Vestibular Schwannoma.

Background: Our primary objective was to monitor nonprogressive unilateral vestibular schwannomas (VSs) to assess the efficiency of rapid bedside examinations, such as the video head impulse test (vHIT) and skull vibration-induced nystagmus test (SVINT), in identifying vestibular damage. Methods: An observational study was conducted from March 2021 to March 2022 on all adult patients (>18 years old) with a confirmed nonprogressive VS (no active treatment). The SVINT (using a 100 Hz vibrator with two (SVINT2) or three (SVINT3) stimulation locations) and vHIT (for the six semicircular canals (SCCs)) were performed on all patients. The asymmetry of function between the vestibules was considered significant when the gain asymmetry was greater than 0.1. Rapid and repeatable assessment of VSs using two- and three-stimulation SVINT plus vHIT was performed to quantify intervestibular asymmetry. Results: SVINT3 and SVINT2 triggered VIN in 40% (24/60) and 65% (39/60) of patients, respectively. There was significant asymmetry in the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), as shown by a VS-side gain < healthy-side gain in 58% (35/60) of the patients. Among the patients with significant gain asymmetry between the two vestibules according to the vHIT (VS-side gain < healthy-side gain), the proportion of patients expressing vestibular symptomatology was significantly greater than that of patients without any symptoms [67% (29/43) vs. 35% (6/17), respectively; p = 0.047]. Conclusions: The SVINT2 can be combined with the vHIT to form an interesting screening tool for revealing vestibular asymmetry. This work revealed the superiority of mastoid stimulation over vertex stimulation for SVINT in patients with unilateral vestibular loss.

Artificial Intelligence for Otosclerosis Detection: A Pilot Study.

The gold standard for otosclerosis diagnosis, aside from surgery, is high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT), but it can be compromised by the small size of the lesions. Many artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms exist, but they are not yet used in daily practice for otosclerosis diagnosis. The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of AI in the detection of otosclerosis. This case-control study included patients with otosclerosis surgically confirmed (2010-2020) and control patients who underwent TBCT and for whom radiological data were available. The AI algorithm interpreted the TBCT to assign a positive or negative diagnosis of otosclerosis. A double-blind reading was then performed by two trained radiologists, and the diagnostic performances were compared according to the best combination of sensitivity and specificity (Youden index). A total of 274 TBCT were included (174 TBCT cases and 100 TBCT controls). For the AI algorithm, the best combination of sensitivity and specificity was 79% and 98%, with an ideal diagnostic probability value estimated by the Youden index at 59%. For radiological analysis, sensitivity was 84% and specificity 98%. The diagnostic performance of the AI algorithm was comparable to that of a trained radiologist, although the sensitivity at the estimated ideal threshold was lower.

Dupilumab prevents nasal epithelial function alteration by IL-4 in vitro: Evidence for its efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP) is a typical type 2 inflammation involving interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13. Dupilumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting IL-4 receptor α subunit, thereby blocking signaling by both cytokines. Our hypothesis was that IL-4 and IL-13, by inducing a severe epithelial dysregulation, are involved in CRSwNP pathogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro direct effect of IL-4, IL-13, and dupilumab on nasal epithelial functions. METHODS: Nasal polyps and control mucosa from 28 patients, as well as human nasal epithelial cells (HNEC) from 35 patients with CRSwNP were used. Three major epithelial functions were investigated: the epithelial barrier function (characterized by transepithelial electrical resistance measurements and tight junction protein expression), the ciliary motion (characterized by the ciliary beating efficiency index), and wound healing (characterized by the wound repair rate) under various stimulations (IL-4, IL-13, and dupilumab). The main outcome was a significant change in epithelial functions following exposure to IL-4, IL-13, and dupilumab for 48 h in the basal media. RESULTS: IL-4 (1, 10, and 100 ng/mL) but not IL-13 induced a significant decrease in occludin and zonula-occludens protein expression, ciliary beating efficiency, and wound repair rate in HNEC. Dupilumab (0.04 mg/mL) had no effect on HNEC and specifically restored all epithelial functions altered when cells were exposed to a 48-h IL-4 stimulation. CONCLUSION: Dupilumab, in vitro, restored epithelial integrity by counteracting the effect of IL-4 on the epithelial barrier (increased epithelial permeability, decreased ciliary beating efficiency, and decreased wound repair rate).

The Prognostic Value of Olfactory Dysfunction in Patients with COVID-19: The COVIDORA Study.

BACKGROUND: Among all studies describing COVID-19 clinical features during the first wave of the pandemic, only a few retrospective studies have assessed the correlation between olfac-tory dysfunction (OD) and the evolution of disease severity. The main aim was to assess whether OD is a predictive factor of COVID-19 severity based on the patient's medical management (outpa-tient care, standard hospital admission, and ICU admission). METHODS: A national, prospective, mul-ticenter cohort study was conducted in 20 public hospitals and a public center for COVID-19 screen-ing. During the first wave of the pandemic, from 6 April to 11 May 2020, all patients tested positive for COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR underwent two follow-up ENT consultations within 10 days of symptom onset. The main outcome measures were the evolution of medical management (out-patient care, standard hospital admission, and ICU admission) at diagnosis and along the clinical course of COVID-19 disease. RESULTS: Among 481 patients included, the prevalence of OD was 60.7%, and it affected mostly female patients (74.3%) under 65 years old (92.5%), with fewer comor-bidities than patients with normal olfactory function. Here, 99.3% (290/292) of patients with OD presented with non-severe COVID-19 disease. Patients reporting OD were significantly less hospi-talized than the ones managed as outpatients, in either a standard medical unit or an ICU. Conclu-sions: As regards the clinical course of COVID-19 disease, OD could predict a decreased risk of hospitalization during the first wave of the pandemic.

Allograft bone vs. bioactive glass in rehabilitation of canal wall-down surgery.

Canal wall-down (CWD) mastoidectomy creates a radical cavity that modifies the anatomy and physiology of the middle ear, thus preventing it from being self-cleaning and causing epidermal stagnation in the posterior cavities. Canal wall-down tympanomastoidectomy with reconstruction (CWDTwR) can obliterate such radical cavities. The main objective of this study was to compare postoperative results after CWDTwR by using either bone allografts or 45S5 bioactive glass as a filling tissue with an 18-month follow-up. This was a single-center observational trial including all patients undergoing CWDTwR. Patients were divided into two groups according to the filling material used: allograft bone (AB group) or 45S5 bioactive glass (BG group). Clinical monitoring was performed regularly, with control imaging performed at 18 months (CT scan and DW MRI). The two groups were compared with the t test for quantitative variables and the chi square test for qualitative variables (no revision surgery, audiometric results, complications, mastoid obliteration volume). Thirty-two patients underwent CWDTwR between October 2015 and 2018. The mean age was 48 years, and 71.9% (23/32) were men. A total of 46.9% (15/32) of the patients had undergone at least 3 middle-ear surgeries prior to CWDTwR. The most frequent preoperative symptom was otorrhea (100.0%, 32/32), and only 12.5% (4/32) experienced dizziness. Fifteen and 17 patients underwent surgery with bone allografts and 45S5 bioactive glass, respectively. At 18 months post-operation, 53.3% of the patients (8/15) in the AB group presented with recurrent otorrhea versus 5.9% (1/17) of patients in the BG group (p = 0.005). Seventy-eight percent (7/9) of symptomatic patients had undergone revision surgery at 18 months postoperation: 40.0% (6/15) in the AB group and 5.9% (1/17) in the BG group (p = 0.033). One patient's surgery was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and one patient refused surgery. The effects of CWDTwR with bone allografts are disappointing in early follow-up, with significant resorption leading to a 40.0% revision surgery rate. 45S5 BG is a simple solution, with preliminary results that are superior to those of AB. However, prospective controlled studies with longer follow-up times are needed to evaluate the value of BG versus other synthetic materials (such as hydroxyapatite) in surgical management of CWDTwR.Trial registration: retrospectively registered.

Disabling hearing loss after Lefort I osteotomies in patients with history of Eustachian tube dysfunction: An unknown complication.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the predisposing factors of this deafness after orthognathic surgery for a population with no history of cleft palate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients with significant auditory symptoms after orthognathic surgery performed in the department of Craniomaxillofacial surgery in the Croix Rousse Hospital, Lyon, France, since 2012 were included in the study. The exclusion criterion was a history of cleft palate. Bone movements performed during orthognathic surgery were analyzed. An audiometric assessment, including Pure Tone Audiometry and tympanometry, was performed at day 30 (D30), day 60 (D60) and day 90 (D90). RESULTS: Six patients were included in the study. All patients were women with a mean age of 33.5 years and suffered from class III skeletal deformities. The average hearing loss was 40 dB at D30, 20 dB at D60 and 5 dB at D90 with sometimes differences between the two ears. Five patients had a type C tympanogram suggesting Eustachian tube dysfunction and one patient had a type B tympanogram. All patients benefited from maxillary advancement of 5 mm on average. DISCUSSION: This study allows to conclude that female patients with a history of allergy or catarrhal tubal deafness are at risk of deafness after orthognathic surgery. These patients must be informed of this complication before surgery and be reassured about its reversibility.

Systematic MRI in persistent post-Covid-19 olfactory dysfunction should be reassessed.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard in the etiological assessment of a persistent olfactory dysfunction (OD). While the utility of imaging in COVID-19-related OD has yet to be established, MRI is recommended in all patients with persistent OD. The high prevalence of the latter after SARS-CoV-2 infection means evaluating this strategy is an important public health matter. METHODS: The main objective was to examine the impact of systematic MRI on the management of patients with OD. All adult patients consulting for persistent OD (>2 months) after primary SARS-COV-2 infection (PCR) between March 2020 and December 2021 were included (n = 67). The secondary objective was to evaluate the relationship between the severity of the OD as measured by psychophysical testing (ETOC) and the volume of the olfactory bulb (OB) measured by MRI. RESULTS: All patients underwent MRI, and none led to a change in diagnosis or treatment. Among them, 82% (55/67) were considered normal by the radiologist on initial interpretation. There were no significant differences (visual analysis or OB volume) between groups (mild, moderate, and severe hyposmia). CONCLUSION: Systematic MRI may be unnecessary in patients whose persistent OD began soon (a few days) after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Incidence of Underlying Abnormal Findings on Routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Bell Palsy.

Importance: There is no consensus on the benefits of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the facial nerve in patients with suspected idiopathic peripheral facial palsy (PFP) (ie, Bell palsy [BP]). Objectives: To estimate the proportion of adult patients in whom MRI led to correction of an initial clinical diagnosis of BP; to determine the proportion of patients with confirmed BP who had MRI evidence of facial nerve neuritis without secondary lesions; and to identify factors associated with secondary (nonidiopathic) PFP at initial presentation and 1 month later. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective multicenter cohort study analyzed the clinical and radiological data of 120 patients initially diagnosed with suspected BP from January 1, 2018, to April 30, 2022, at the emergency department of 3 tertiary referral centers in France. Interventions: All patients screened for clinically suspected BP underwent an MRI of the entire facial nerve with a double-blind reading of all images. Main Outcomes and Measures: The proportion of patients in whom MRI led to a correction of the initial diagnosis of BP (any condition other than BP, including potentially life-threating conditions) and results of contrast enhancement of the facial nerve were described. Results: Among the 120 patients initially diagnosed with suspected BP, 64 (53.3%) were men, and the mean (SD) age was 51 (18) years. Magnetic resonance imaging of the facial nerve led to a correction of the diagnosis in 8 patients (6.7%); among them, potentially life-threatening conditions that required changes in treatment were identified in 3 (37.5%). The MRI confirmed the diagnosis of BP in 112 patients (93.3%), among whom 106 (94.6%) showed evidence of facial nerve neuritis on the affected side (hypersignal on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images). This was the only objective sign confirming the idiopathic nature of PFP. Conclusions and Relevance: These preliminary results suggest the added value of the routine use of facial nerve MRI in suspected cases of BP. Multicentered international prospective studies should be organized to confirm these results.