[Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome as a rare cause of recurrent facial nerve palsy]

Abstract

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome is a rare cause of recurrent facial nerve palsy. The syndrome is classically characterized by a triad of signs consisting of facial edema, recurrent peripheral facial nerve paralysis, and congenital fissured tongue, although it may also present in a mono- or oligosymptomatic form. The paper presents a 24-year-old woman with right-sided peripheral facial nerve palsy and a history of left-sided episodes of facial nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance angiography of the cerebral vessels suggested compression of the right seventh and eighth cranial nerves by a vascular loop. The authors describe the patient with a complete picture of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome and discuss the diagnosing process and treatment.