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Abstract
Background: Occasionally, malignant neoplasms may cause peripheral facial nerve paralysis as a presenting symptom.
Methods: Case report: A 63-year-old man was referred to the Emergency Department because of a peripheral facial nerve paralysis, lasting for 10 days. Initial diagnostic examinations revealed no apparent cause for this facial nerve paralysis. Chest X-ray, however, showed a suspicious tumoural mass, located in the right hilar region, as confirmed by CAT scan. The diagnosis of an advanced stage lung adenocarcinoma was finally confirmed by bronchial biopsy. MRI scanning showed diffuse brain metastases and revealed a pontine lesion as the most probable underlying cause of this case of peripheral facial nerve paralysis. Platin-based palliative chemotherapy was given, after an initial pancranial irradiation.
Results: According to the MRI findings, the pontine lesion was responsible for the peripheral facial nerve paralysis, as an initial presenting symptom in this case of lung adenocarcinoma.
Conclusion: This clinical case of a peripheral facial nerve paralysis was caused by a pontine brain metastasis and illustrates a rather rare presenting symptom of metastatic lung cancer.