A case of an unusual Bell ′s Palsy mimic

We discuss the case of five-year-old male who presented with an isolated left-sided cranial nerve seven palsy that was initially MRI negative. Due to continued symptoms, repeat MRI was performed and showed a temporal bone encephalocele. A review of the differential diagnosis of cranial nerve seven palsy, warning signs signaling the need for additional workup and a discussion of temporal lobe encephaloceles is provided in the case report. It is important to recognize that structural lesions can closely mimic idiopathic Bell ′s palsy, despite initial negative imaging.
Source: Seminars in Pediatric Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research