From recurrent peripheral facial palsy to multiple sclerosis.

Peripheral facial palsy is a clinical entity, which may be presented as the first symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS). Although MS is mostly a multifocal chronic inflammation of the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system can also be involved. Isolated cranial nerve palsies are rare and occur in 1.6% of MS patients. In this report, a case is presented of a 35-year-old woman who developed isolated seventh nerve palsy that was misdiagnosed as Bell's palsy. Despite recurrent peripheral facial palsy, positive cerebrospinal fluid finding and magnetic resonance imaging, the diagnosis of MS could only be confirmed when the patient developed other neurologic symptoms and when the criteria for dissemination in space were satisfied. In clinical presentation, the patient had only cranial nerve involvement, with complete recovery.