[Facial paralysis of metastatic origin. Review of metastatic lesions of the temporal bone].

Metastatic lesions in temporal bone were rare in the past but are increasing, it seems, nowadays. We present the case of a women patient which first and only metastatic symptom was her peripheral facial paralysis. In our review of world literature of this topic only 148 published cases were found. Tumors more frequently spreading to temporal bone, in decreasing order of development, are those of the breast, lungs, kidney, stomach and prostate. Clinically these metastases become manifest by hypoacusy, buzzing ears, body unbalance, vertigo and facial palsy. The prognosis of these disorders are related to the serverity of the systemic disease.