A case of a facial nerve venous malformation presenting with crocodile tear syndrome

Abstract

Background: Crocodile tears syndrome, also known as Bogorad syndrome, is characterized by lacrimation secondary to olfactory and gustatory stimuli and mastication. Crocodile tear syndrome is typically encountered as an uncommon complication of Bell’s palsy and usually occurs during the recovery phase of the disease course. Case Description: We present a case of a 39-year-old male who presented with facial paralysis with ipsilateral crocodile tear syndrome caused by a slow flow venous malformation of the petrous bone and facial nerve. Conclusion: We present a case of crocodile tear syndrome caused by a facial nerve venous malformation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case reported in literature.

Management and Outcomes of Facial Nerve Hemangiomas: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 40 articles were selected to be included in the qualitative synthesis. 3 4 5 6 8 10 11 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 Table characteristics are summarized in Table 1 .…”

Epiphora and Hyperlacrimation as Paradoxical Manifestations of Facial Nerve Injury: Mechanistic Insights

“…Several cases spanning over a century to the present day have documented excessive tearing in patients with facial nerve injuries of various origins [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. These cases range from historical accounts, such as a postoperative injury in a young girl [13], to more recent occurrences, including patients experiencing facial nerve injury and/or crocodile tears syndrome following COVID-19 infection [19][20][21][22].…”

“…Additionally, there is the case of a 14-year-old female who suffered from cocontracture of the left orbicularis oculi and orbicularis oris muscles, resulting in ectropion and epiphora [14]. Two other examples involve a 39-year-old male with a facial nerve venous malformation that led to lacrimation triggered by olfactory and gustatory stimuli and mastication [16], and a 15-year-old male who experienced hyperlacrimation in the right eye and an inability to close that eye after sustaining minor facial trauma [17]. These reports underscore the fact that hyperlacrimation and epiphora have been observed in individuals of both genders and across all age groups following facial nerve injuries, regardless of the underlying cause.…”