Novel predictive factors of Bell’s Palsy: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio

Introduction: Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Bell’s palsy. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are indicators of inflammation. Objectives: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of Bell's palsy and the mean of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio among them. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st March 2018 to 1st March 2020 after receiving ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee (Ref. No: 2020-046). Convenience sampling method was used for case selection. Data entry and analysis were done in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 20. Point estimate at 95% confidence interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Result: Out of all patients who visited ENT outpatient department during the study period, the overall prevalence of Bell’s palsy was 0.6% (117) at a 95% confidence interval (0.5-0.72%). Among them, the mean neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was 5.014 ± 1.63, and the mean platelet to lymphocyte ratio was 207.38 ± 54.59. Conclusion: NLR and PLR can be used as auxiliary param eters in the management of Bell’s palsy. *Correspondence to: Apar Pokharel, College of Medical Sciences, Chitwan, Nepal, Tel: +977-9855058234; E-mail: apar.pokharel@gmail.com