Seasonal Distribution and Epidemiology of Bell’s Palsy

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the seasonal and epidemic distribution of the disease in the environment of Ioannina prefecture, with a population of 158,000 and a climate of a transitive zone between Mediterranean and continental. Patients: This retrospective study included 125 patients suffering from idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis, treated from 1995 until 1999. The male:female ratio was 62:63. The age of the patients ranged from 7 to 84 years, with a mean age of 50.4 ± 21.8. The annual incidence of the disease was 15.8 per 100,000 population during the 5 years. Results: Correlation between the disease frequency and the age of the patients revealed an increased frequency in patients over 40 years (67.2%) and peak morbidity during the 7th decade (36%). There was no significant difference in the number of cases occurring during the cold – warm half of the year, the four seasons, and in the monthly distribution. By calculating the mean intervals in days between successive cases per month and per season, we observed no significant differences. Conclusions: Our study did not provide any statistically significant results that could indicate seasonal or epidemic distribution of Bell’s palsy.