title: [Bell's palsy and cardiomyopathy in the postpartum: case report and review of the literature].
abstract: It is a 29-year-old patient who presented in the postpartum a facial palsy. A few days later she developed progressively a worsening dyspnea accompanied by tachycardia. Examinations have showed severe heart failure. Etiological research demonstrated reactivation of Epstein Barr virus infection with facial neuritis and concomitant myocarditis. The patient has fully recovered and was in complete remission after 6 months. To our knowledge this is the first case where a facial palsy and postpartum cardiomyopathy are associated and may be explained by a common viral etiology.
authors.affiliation: Services de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Erasme, Bruxelles. ysalame@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Salame
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsepelidis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roelants
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leblicq
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flamant
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gosseries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000821:virology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000821:virology*; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000821:virology*