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Neurological rarities
Ventrolateral pontomedullary junction ischaemic stroke imitating isolated facial nerve palsy
  1. Patrick Hartnett,
  2. Daniela Zambrano
  1. Department of Neurology, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, Vermont, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Patrick Hartnett, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, USA; hartnetpat{at}gmail.com

Abstract

A 75-year-old woman presenting with unilateral lower motor neurone facial weakness was ultimately diagnosed with an ischaemic stroke at the pontomedullary junction affecting the facial nerve fascicles. Isolated, unilateral, upper and lower facial weakness is typically caused by lesions affecting the facial nerve, such as Bell’s palsy, though rarely can be a manifestation of acute ischaemic stroke. It is important for neurologists and emergency providers to determine appropriately which patients with facial weakness require neuroimaging and which do not.

  • STROKE
  • CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Data availability statement

All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.

https://doi.org/10.1136/pn-2023-003839

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    Data availability statement

    All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @pathartnettmd

    • Contributors PH was the primary author of the report. DZ reviewed and edited the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed by Tom Hughes, Cardiff, UK.

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