Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34214773›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of otolaryngology

Can isolated sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and idiopathic acute facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) be symptoms of COVID-19?

Mehmet Aslan, Mehmet Turan Çiçek

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Article in American journal of otolaryngology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
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9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Is There an Association between Bell Palsy in Pediatric Patients and COVID-19?International archives of otorhinolaryngology · 2025
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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Mehmet AslanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. Electronic address: dr.mehmetaslan@hotmail.com.
Mehmet Turan ÇiçekDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of presentation mainly include fever, cough, respiratory distress and myalgia. On the other hand, as neurological symptoms, disruption of taste and smell and cerebrovascular pathologies are well-known, whereas other neurological symptoms and signs are being newly recognized. Sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and idiopathic acute facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) are otologic emergencies that are frequently encountered by otorhinolaryngology specialists. Although there are many articles describing SSNHL and Bell's palsy in the literature, the literature describing their relationship to COVID-19 is limited. In our study, we aimed to present the neuro-otologic relationship of SSNHL and Bell's palsy with COVID-19. MATERIAL AND

methodsThe pretreatment real-time oronasopharyngeal PCR tests, COVID-19 symptomatology and COVID-19 infection statuses of patients who presented to our clinic with isolated SSNHL and Bell's palsy between April 2020 and April 2021 were questioned, and the data of the patients were collected. Throughout their treatment, the patients were followed-up in terms of COVID-19 infection. This is a prospective study. Moreover, to observe the change in the incidence, the data of patients visiting between January 2019 and January 2020 were also collected. The data of the patients were statistically analyzed using SPSS.

resultsThe study included a total of 177 patients. The SSNHL group consisted of 91 patients, and the Bell's palsy group consisted of 86 patients. Neither group showed a statistically significant difference in comparison to the year without the pandemic in terms of the patient numbers (incidence), sex, age, morbidity, response to treatment or social habits. There was a statistically significant difference in age only in the Bell's palsy group, but this difference was not medically significant.

conclusionAs a result of our study, we did not observe a relationship between COVID-19 and cases of SSNHL and Bell's palsy. It is recommended to apply standard otologic treatment to isolated SSNHL and Bell's palsy patients whose association with COVID-19 is not determined.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBell PalsyCOVID-19Facial ParalysisFemaleHearing Loss, SensorineuralHearing Loss, SuddenHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSymptom AssessmentTurkeyCOVID-19Idiopathic acute facial paralysis (Bell's palsy)Otorhinolaryngological symptomsSudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL)

Identifiers

PMID34214773
PMCPMC8239203

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.