Facial muscle paralysis: behind the words

Abstract

A 67-year old woman presented with right facial muscle 
paralysis of acute onset of six hours. Her medical 
history included diabetes mellitus on metformin since 
several years and an ear infection of viral etiology 4 
weeks ago. Clinical examination (using the House
Brackmann scale) revealed pain behind the right ear, 
inability to close her right eye, unilateral tongue 
numbness and increased sense of hearing on the right 
side, while other cranial nerve function was spared.