title: Facial paralysis as a presenting symptom of leukemia.
abstract: Facial paralysis may occur as a complication of central nervous system leukemias in children, but it is rarely a presenting symptom. This report describes an 8-month-old child who presented with peripheral facial palsy, failure to thrive, anemia, and otitis media. Antibiotic and steroid treatment led to an improvement in the clinical condition, but not the paralysis. At readmission 3 weeks later, physical examination revealed bluish, firm, palpable masses on the scalp and facial areas, and laboratory and imaging studies confirmed the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. This case should alert physicians to consider hematologic malignancies in children with facial paralysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics B, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: Efraim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bilavsky
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scheuerman
authors.forename: Nofar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hoffer
authors.forename: Ben Zion
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Garty
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy