Does Microvascular Function Play a Role in the Etiology of Bell's Palsy?

Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate whether systemic microvascular function affects the development and prognosis of Bell's palsy (BP) or not. Methods: Sixty patients, who were admitted to our hospital between June 2017 and May 2018 and diagnosed with BP, were included as the BP group, and 60 healthy volunteers who came to the hospital for health screening, were included as the control group in our study. The BP group was examined 3 months after the treatment and were divided into two groups according to the House-Brackmann Grading system. Capillary density (CD) and post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) values were measured by performing videocapillaroscopic examination through the nail fold for microvascular function, and statistical analysis was carried out among the groups. Results: The video-capillary results revealed that there was no significant difference in CD and PORH values (p>0.05). In the complete recovery and incomplete recovery group, the CD and PORH values were not significantly different (p>0.05). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first study conducted in the literature. Even though the role of specific mechanisms in BP has not been fully understood, there was no significant difference between the BP patients and the healthy subjects and between the recovery and incomplete recovery groups with the capillaroscopic examination. It has been thought that the CD and PORH values were normal in the BP patients and that a microvascular mechanism was not a possible factor for the development and prognosis.