Misleading presentation of rhombencephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes

Introduction. Rhombencephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes may present in a variety of forms. Case report. We describe the case of a 76 years old male presenting with an acute symmetrical palsy of fifth, seventh, ninth-tenth cranial nerves, ophtalmoparesia and miosis, without evident signs of long tract lesion, mimicking a peripheral nervous system or neuromuscular junction disease. The results of the blood cultures and the magnetic resonance imaging gave the diagnosis of rhombencephalitis due to Listeria. Conclusions. Rhombencephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes may present as a symmetric palsy of cranial nerves, therefore it can mimic a cranial nerves multineuritis syndrome.