Facial baroparesis in a 12-year-old boy

Abstract

Facial baroparesis is an extremely uncommon clinical entity that occurs due to the middle ear barotrauma. It is rarely reported in the medical literature which can happen among persons who ascend to high altitude in flight or by scuba diving. The overpressure in the middle ear space due to eustachian tube dysfunction may cause exertion of the high pressure over the facial nerve through dehiscence of the horizontal segment of the facial nerve leading to facial nerve paralysis. Clinical history plays a vital role in diagnosis and also sometimes imaging helps confirm this rare cause of facial nerve paralysis. Here, we report a case of a 12-year-old boy who experiences unilateral facial nerve paralysis upon ascent to altitude on a flight with relieves from symptoms shortly after the descent.