Facial palsy as a presenting feature of coarctation of aorta

摘要

We report the unusual presentation of coarctation of the aorta with facial nerve palsy in an infant and a child. The facial nerve palsy and hypertension resolved spontaneously after relief of the aortic coarctation. Our two cases are the first reports of unidentified coarctation of the aorta presenting as facial nerve palsy, with the infant being the youngest to be reported.Acute lower motor neurone facial nerve palsy is a recognized complication of hypertension in adults. It has been less frequently reported in children, where the hypertension is usually secondary to an underlying pathology [3]. We present two contrasting cases of children with coarctation of the aorta and hypertension who presented with acute lower motor neurone facial nerve palsy. The hypertension and facial nerve palsy fully resolved after relief of the aortic coarctation.