[Bilateral and recurrent facial palsy due to lymphoma: a case report].
OBJECTIVE
To discuss about management of facial paralysis reccurence and to highlight the ENT's important role in the diagnosis of systemic diseases.


METHODS
This article presents a case report about a controlateral facial palsy recurrence, two months later in a fifty-two year's old woman. This cranial nerves involvement was due to non-Hodgkin lymphoma with neuro-meningeal spreading. The first palsy had completely recovered with steroids. The early recurrence of the palsy and the lymph nodes areas exam lead to the diagnosis. The patient was treated by chemotherapy with good neuromeningeal diffusion. The facial score rapidly improved, according to facial electromyography results.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific biological and radiological explorations are usually carried out in recurrent facial palsy. Complete clinical examination and cerebrospinal fluid study are useful in this case. Moreover it should be preferable to do these explorations before steroid therapy. A diffuse meningeal enhancement on the MRI can complete sometimes clinical and biological data.


CONCLUSIONS
Cranial nerves involvement is sometimes one of the first symptoms of neuro-meningeal lymphoma. Facial palsy reccurence has to conduce ENT pratician to do more specific explorations, of which CSF analysis is required.
Bodénez
C
C
Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie et de Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, 47-83 boulevard de l'Hôpital, F-75651 Paris Cedex 13, France. camille.bodenez@yahoo.fr
Vargaftig
J
J
Barré
P
P
Mansour
G
G
Lamas
G
G
Tankéré
E
E
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence