Facial palsy: Report of rare disease

Abstract

Peripheral facial palsy is a frequent entity, including in pediatric age group. In most cases the etiology is unknown, so Bell’s palsy is the most common diagnosis. Cholesteatomas are rare causes of facial palsy, and congenital cholesteatomas represent a very small percentage in the set of several possible causes.

Cholesteatomas, although histologically benign, present destructive characteristics and can lead to bone lysis, resulting in serious complications if not diagnosed early. This article describes the case of a child diagnosed with facial palsy caused by a cholesteatoma, whose suspected etiological and timely investigation, allowed appropriate treatment, with recovery of neurological deficit, avoiding future complications and more serious implications in patient life quality.