Published online Apr 26, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i12.2817
Peer-review started: December 21, 2022
First decision: January 30, 2023
Revised: March 13, 2023
Accepted: March 29, 2023
Article in press: March 29, 2023
Published online: April 26, 2023
Processing time: 125 Days and 17 Hours
Bell’s palsy is an idiopathic facial palsy with an unknown cause, and 75% of patients heal spontaneously. However, the other 25% of patients continue experiencing mild or severe disabilities, resulting in a reduced quality of life. Currently, various treatment methods have been developed to treat this disease. However, there is controversy regarding their effectiveness, and new alternative treatments are needed.
The patient suffered from left-sided facial paralysis due to Bell’s palsy for 7 years. The patient received an uncultured umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplant eight times for treatment. After follow-up for 32 mo, the paralysis was cured, and there was no recurrence.
Uncultured umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation may be a potential treatment for patients with Bell’s palsy who do not spontaneously recover.
Core Tip: The effectiveness of the current treatment methods for Bell’s palsy is debated. Therefore, alternative treatments are needed. In this study, we treated a patient with Bell’s palsy classified as moderately severe dysfunction using uncultured umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells. After follow-up for 32 mo, the paralysis was cured, and there was no recurrence. This method could be a new treatment option to replace existing treatments for Bell’s palsy.