Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34815200›Full record

SynthesisBrazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology

The efficacy of corticosteroid after facial nerve neurorrhaphy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.

Prapitphan Charoenlux, Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, Kachorn Seresirikachorn

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effects of ozone and methylprednisolone treatment in facial paralysis: An experimental study.Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Prapitphan CharoenluxDepartment of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: p.charoenlux@gmail.com.
Nattawan UtoomprurkpornDepartment of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; UCL Ear Institute, Faculty of Brain Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Kachorn SeresirikachornDepartment of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Endoscopic Nasal and Sinus Surgery Excellence Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: kachorns@gmail.com.
Chulalongkorn University · TH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe benefit of corticosteroids following facial nerve neurorrhaphy in the setting of complete transection is questionable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate corticosteroid efficacy on facial nerve regeneration and functional recovery after complete disruption and neurorrhaphy.

methodsRandomized controlled trials on both human and animal models from Ovid MEDLINE and Ovid EMBASE studying corticosteroid efficacy in complete facial nerve disruption followed by neurorrhaphy were included. Data were extracted and pooled for meta-analysis. The outcomes were evaluated from electrophysiology, histology, and functional recovery. However, no randomized controlled trial in human was performed. Possibly, performing human trials with histopathology may not be feasible in clinical setting.

resultsSix animal studies (248 participants) met inclusion criteria. Electrophysiologic outcomes revealed no differences in latency (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) = -1.97, 95% CI -7.38 to 3.44, p = 0.47) and amplitude (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI -0.44 to 1.18, p = 0.37) between systemic corticosteroids and controls. When analysis compared topical corticosteroid and control, the results provided no differences in latency (Mean Difference (MD) = 0.10, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.24, p = 0.16) and amplitude (SMD = 0.01, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.10, p = 0.81). In histologic outcomes, the results showed no differences in axon diameter (MD = 0.13, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.41, p = 0.37) between systemic corticosteroid and control; however, the result in myelin thickness (MD = 0.06, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.08, p < 0.05) favored control group. When comparing systemic corticosteroid with control in eye blinking, the results favored control (MD = 1.33, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.06, p =  0.0004).

conclusionsThis evidence did not show potential benefits of systemic or topical corticosteroid deliveries after facial nerve neurorrhaphy in complete transection when evaluating electrophysiologic, histologic, and functional recovery outcomes in animal models.

Indexed as

Adrenal Cortex HormonesFacial NerveAnimalsGlucocorticoidsHumansModels, AnimalNeurosurgical ProceduresAdrenal Cortex HormonesGlucocorticoidsComplete facial nerve transectionCorticosteroidFacial nerve neurorrhaphyFunctional recoveryNerve regeneration

Identifiers

PMID34815200
PMCPMC9874359
OpenAlexW3208755997

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.