title: Pediatric bilateral facial paralysis.
abstract: Bilateral facial paralysis is an unusual clinical entity that occurs in less than 1% of patients with facial paralysis. In children bilateral facial paralysis is even more rare, and establishing its etiology can be challenging. Four pediatric patients ranging in age from 3 to 17 years are presented who developed bilateral facial paralysis as a result of acute otitis media, Lyme disease, recurrent central nervous system leukemia, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The diagnosis and treatment of pediatric bilateral facial paralysis are reviewed, as well as the pertinent literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Disorders, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Traquina
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004673:Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / Q000150:complications; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013290:Streptococcal Infections; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes