Unilateral Recurrent Facial Paralysis due to Cavernous Hemangioma of the Pons

We report a case of unilateral recurrent facial paralysis caused by cavernous hemangioma of the pons. The patient was a 38-year-old woman suffering from mild right facial paralysis. Initially, she was diagnosed as having Bell's paralysis, treated with peroral steroids, and it improved. After half a year, right facial palsy appeared again, and the patient presented with acute hearing loss of the right ear after several days. Furthermore, MRI identified hemangioma of the pons in the region of the right facial nerve nucleus. We concluded that this recurrent facial nerve paralysis was caused by repeat hemorrhage from the hemangioma. It is concluded that central impairment should be a criterion when diagnosing unilateral recurrent facial paralysis.