Isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy in a 14-year-old girl.
Isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy is rare, but occasionally it appears as the initial or solitary sign of an intracranial or extracranial space-occupying lesion or a vascular abnormality of the internal carotid artery. We present a 14-year-old girl who, following an upper respiratory tract infection, presented with isolated right hypoglossal nerve palsy. Anti-streptolysin O titre was increased to >1280 suggesting a preceding streptococcal infection. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain did not show any intracranial or extracranial abnormality. She had a partial improvement at 3 months. This case emphasizes the value of recognizing the existence of benign self-limiting, post-infectious causes of isolated hypoglossal nerve palsies in children.
Hadjikoutis
S
S
Specialist Registrar, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK. savvashadjikoutis@yahoo.com
Jayawant
S
S
Stoodley
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020437:Hypoglossal Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology