Long-term Follow-up of Idiopathic Facial Palsy

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe clinical characteristics and electrodiagnostic findings of idiopathic facial palsy and to follow up beyond 1 year after onset. METHOD: From February 2002 to July 2003 the authors analyzed 103 cases that could be followed up after 1 year since diagnosed as idiopathic facial palsy by electrodiagnostic study which was performed at approximately 2 weeks after the onset time. The patients were classified by House- Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve grading system on their first visits and followed up by telephone interview using H-B system. Treatment method, age, sex, medical history and symptoms were noted. In addition, the blink reflex, nerve conduction study and needle electromyography (EMG) were done. RESULTS: When degree of degeneration (% degeneration) was greater than 90% at approximately 2 weeks after the onset or motor unit action potentials were not detected in at least one among the four tested muscles, patients did not gain satisfactory facial function after 1 year. CONCLUSION: Methods related to prognosis of idiopathic facial palsy were compared with side to side evoked potential amplitude and needle EMG. This methods would be helpful to explain its prognosis.

Timing and Causes of Death of Stroke Patients Died in Hospitalization

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency distribution and causes of death according to number of days after stroke. METHOD: We reviewed in 158 cases of the stroke patients who had died in hospitalization from January 2000 to June 2002 by medical records retrospectively. We evaluated the correlations between the frequency of death and causes of death by frequency analysis. RESULTS: Mean age was 65.8 11.5 years old and average survival days after stroke were 16.2 24.1 days. The proportion of stroke subtypes were infarct (51.3%), intracranial hemorrhage (36.7%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (12.0%). The frequency of death at 7 days and 30 days after stroke onset were 52.5% and 89.2%, respectively. The most frequent cause of death was respiratory arrest due to transtentorial herniation or brain stem lesion (48.1%), followed in frequency by pneumonia (22.2%), cardiac origin (10.8%), and vasospasm (6.3%). Within the first 30 days, the leading cause of death was respiratory arrest due to transtentorial herniation or brain stem lesion. After the first 30 days, the most frequent cause of death was pneumonia. CONCLUSION: The results of this study are valuable as basic data of mortality and causes of death after stroke during an acute stroke management and early rehabilitation.