Isolated dysarthria-facial paresis syndrome: a rare clinical entity which is usually overlooked.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of the study is to search the lesion localization of the pure isolated facial paresis-dysarthria syndrome in patients who were admitted to our neurology clinic in a prospective study.

METHODS

Over a period of six years, the patients who had no prominent sensorimotor dysfunction were examined by neurologists and underwent computerized tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

RESULTS

Eleven patients out of more than 2000 had the aforementioned clinical picture. Lacunar infarctions were identified at the corona radiata in nine patients, and at the internal capsule in two patients. As reported previously, facial paresis was usually mild and temporary. Six of our eleven patients were seen at the outpatient clinic one month later. Four of them had completely recovered and the other two had mild dsyarthria without any facial paresis. The other five could not be reached after leaving the hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Dysarthria-facial paresis is a rare clinical entity and possibly a variation of dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome, and we suggest that pure facial paresis (FP) and pure dysarthria should be considered as very extreme examples of this syndrome.