A case of peripheral‐type facial palsy with dysgeusia due to pontine infarction: A case report

Abstract

We describe an 83‐year‐old woman who presented with an acute onset of hemifacial droop. The patient's neurological examination showed peripheral‐type facial palsy with dysgeusia of the right anterior two‐thirds of her tongue. However, MRI revealed an anterior inferior cerebellar artery lesion, diagnosed as brain stem infarction. Peripheral‐type facial palsy has been reported in some stroke cases, with these cases not presenting with dysgeusia. Thus, this finding usually helps differentiate facial nerve palsy from peripheral‐type facial palsy caused by brain stem lesions. Despite the cerebral infarction, our patient presented with peripheral facial nerve palsy with taste disorder. This is because the lesion not only involved the pons but also the middle cerebellar peduncle. Therefore, patients with multiple vascular risk factors need to be carefully diagnosed.