[Facial diplejia: a regional variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome]

An Med Interna. 2007 Jan;24(1):24-6.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Facial palsy is a uncommon clinical manifestation that it can be caused by different etiologies. We show a patient with a chronic periodontal disease who presented a sudden facial palsy, initially in left-face but it becomes bilateral quickly. In few days he associated paresthesias in his right arm and hyporreflexia. These clinical findings with albumin-cytological dissociation, they had allowed to establish the diagnosis of regional variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (SGB). Facial diplejia is an idiopathic manifestation in 25% of patients, and this is the most common cause. However, facial diplejia can be secondary to many etiologies as SGB. The affectation of facial nerve associated to other motor symptoms in SGB is frequent, but it is not frequent the presentation as facial diplejia alone. In conclusion, it is necessary a high clinical suspicion to do a lumbar punction (PL) and MRI to reject neoplasic pathologies and to obtain a diagnosis and an adequate treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Facial Paralysis / diagnosis
  • Facial Paralysis / drug therapy
  • Facial Paralysis / etiology*
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome / complications*
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Immunologic Factors