Contralateral facial nerve palsy following mandibular second molar removal: is there co-relation or just coincidence?

Pan Afr Med J. 2014 Jun 22:18:173. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2014.18.173.3750. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Peripheral facial nerve palsy (FNP) is the most common cranial nerves neuropathy. It is very rare during dental treatment. Classically, it begins immediately after the injection of local anaesthetic into the region of inferior dental foramen and it's homolateral to the injection. Recovery takes a few hours, normally as long the anaesthetic lasts. The authors present a 44-year-old patient who presented a contralateral delayed-onset facial paralysis arising from dental procedure and discuss the plausible pathogenesis mechanism of happen and a possible relationship between dental procedure and contralateral FNP.

Keywords: Facial nerve palsy; anaesthetic injection; molar removal.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anesthetics, Local / adverse effects
  • Diabetes Complications
  • Dysgeusia / etiology
  • Electromyography
  • Facial Paralysis / etiology*
  • Facial Paralysis / virology
  • Herpes Simplex
  • Herpesvirus 1, Human / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Hyperacusis / etiology
  • Lubricant Eye Drops
  • Male
  • Mandible / surgery*
  • Molar / surgery*
  • Operative Time
  • Postoperative Complications / etiology*
  • Postoperative Complications / virology
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Tooth Extraction*
  • Virus Activation*

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Local
  • Lubricant Eye Drops
  • Prednisone