Bell’s palsy is acute peripheral facial nerve palsy; its cause is often unknown but it can be triggered by acute viral infection. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection commonly presents with respiratory symptoms, but neurologic complications have been reported. A few studies have reported the occurrence of facial nerve palsy during the COVID-19 pandemic. We present a case of Bell’s palsy in a 36-year-old man with COVID-19 infection and a past medical history of nephrolithiasis. He presented to the emergency room with a day history of sudden right facial weakness and difficulty closing his right eye four weeks following a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. Physical examination revealed right lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy (House-Brackmann grade IV). Serologic screen for Lyme disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2 were negative for acute infection; however, neuroimaging with MRI confirmed Bell’s palsy. He made remarkable improvement following treatment with a course of valacyclovir and methylprednisolone. This case adds to the growing body of literature on neurological complications that should be considered when managing patients with COVID-19 infection.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19 infection, bell’s palsy, facial weakness, neurologic manifestation, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Methylprednisolone, Treatment, HIV, Coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19 pandemic, Infection, virus, MRI, serologic, Complication, Human immunodeficiency virus, Neurological complication, respiratory symptoms, facial nerve palsy, Lyme disease, weakness, acute viral infection, past medical history, herpes simplex, motor neuron, neurologic, Bell, Occurrence, Course, reported, triggered, Bell’s palsy, diagnosis of COVID-19, facial, patients with COVID-19, valacyclovir, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, manifestation, palsy, Bell,