[False-membrane pharyngitis and vélopalatine paralysis: false diphteria, true infectious mononucleosis (author's transl)].

Paralysis of the soft-palate occurring at the end of, or in conjunction with false-membrane pharyngitis with lymphadenopathies should prompt to think of diphteria. The reported case is concerning an 18 year-old girl in whom the affection of the last cranial nerves (IX-XI and XII) is falling within the rare but deceptive neurological forms of infectious mononucleosis. The evolution was favorable, as is normally the case when there are no respiratory complications.