Abstract
We present a case report of a 14-year-old boy who was jumping on a trampoline when
he struck his right mastoid on a support pole. The following day, he developed a right-sided
facial droop and inability to close his right eye. He presented to the emergency department,
where CT of his temporal bone was negative and he was started on prednisone. Over
the next month, he had spontaneous recovery of his facial nerve (FN) function.
In cases of traumatic FN palsy, urgent referral to otolaryngology is needed, even
without a fracture of the temporal bone, as edema within the facial nerve could require
decompressive surgery. Steroids, while used in this patient, are of questionable benefit
in the limited data available. Patient's with traumatic FN palsies should be instructed
to use eye lubricant frequently and tape his eye closed at night, as corneal drying
could lead to permanent damage. Proper evaluation, management, and referral are needed
in cases of traumatic FN palsy to prevent long-term morbidity.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: April 17, 2018
Footnotes
☆Presentation: Case will be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Minneapolis, MN, on May 31, 2018.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Published by Elsevier Inc.
