Peripheral facial paralysis as presenting symptom of COVID-19 in a pregnant woman

Abstract

Acute facial nerve disease leading to peripheral facial paralysis is commonly associated with viral infections. COVID-19 may be a potential cause of peripheral facial paralysis and neurological symptoms could be the first and only manifestation of the disease. We report a case of a term pregnancy diagnosed with COVID-19 after presenting with isolated peripheral facial palsy.

Lower motor neuron facial palsy in a postnatal mother with COVID-19

“…Similar cases of Bell's palsy in COVID-19 have been reported in patients in Singapore 17 and China. 6 In association with COVID-19 in pregnancy, Bell's palsy has been reported as the presenting manifestation of COVID-19 in a 35-year-old primigravida at 39 weeks of pregnancy 7 in Portugal, and in a pregnant woman at 35 weeks of gestation in Italy. 8 All of these cases were treated Patient's perspective I was very anxious that I was diagnosed with COVID-19.…”

“…5 More recently, Bell's palsy has been associated with COVID-19 and has been reported as the presenting complaint in several cases throughout the world. [6][7][8] Here, the authors report a case of Bell's palsy in COVID-19 with onset postpartum, midway through the course of the disease.…”

SARS-CoV-2 mediated neuroinflammation and the impact of COVID-19 in neurological disorders

“…All patients experienced Bell’s Palsy during infection. Treatment ranged from antivirals and/or steroids or intravenous immunoglobulins [ [153] , [154] , [155] , [156] ].…”

Bell's Palsy as a Late Neurologic Manifestation of COVID-19 Infection

“…Increasing number of COVID-19 related facial nerve palsies are now being reported, with most being the first presenting symptom or occurring within the first week of onset of viral symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. This is a rare case of facial nerve palsy presenting three weeks after resolution of viral symptoms and four weeks after a positive COVID-19 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.…”

“…Facial nerve palsy may be the first presentation of COVID-19 and it may occur within a few days of its diagnosis [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. We present a patient with a unilateral LMN facial nerve palsy four weeks after a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection.…”