Is there benefit adding antivirals to corticosteroids for Bell’s palsy in adults?

Bell’s palsy is the first cause of unilateral facial palsy. The likely etiologic mechanism is facial nerve inflammation secondary to viral reactivation, most probably due to herpes simplex and Varicella Zoster. Corticosteroids are considered the mainstay of treatment, but it is not clear whether adding antivirals would further increase the benefit. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified 10 systematic reviews including 15 pertinent randomized controlled trials overall. We combined the evidence and generated a summary of findings following the GRADE approach. We concluded that adding antivirals to the treatment with corticosteroids probably reduces the risk of incomplete recovery in patients with Bell’s palsy.