ABSTRACT

Objectives:

In central facial palsy developing after unilateral cerebral stroke, dysfunction of the upper facial muscles is usually not observed. However, in some cases, weakness is reported to develop in the upper facial muscles due to stroke. This study aims to examine the supranuclear lesion localizations of peripheral-type facial palsy induced by acute ischemic stroke.

Materials and Methods:

Ten patients, who were hospitalized due to stroke in Clinic of Neurology, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital between 2019 and 2021 and who were determined to have peripheral type facial palsy in the examination findings, were included in our study. The radiological and clinical characteristics of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. Lesion locations at brain diffusion-weighted imaging were examined. Demographic characteristics and ischemic stroke risk factors were determined by scanning file notes.

Results:

At diffusion-weighted imaging examinations of the patients, the lesion localizations were on corticobulbar tract reaching to pons from cortex in 4 cases. In two cases, the total medial cerebral artery affected the irrigation area. While it was on precentral gyrus- primary motor cortex in a case, it was on centrum semiovale-putamen-internal capsule posterior limb in a case. In a case, the lesion was localized on the anterior cerebral artery irrigation area. In one case, the primary motor cortex was adjacent to the subcortical white matter.

Conclusion:

In our retrospective scanning results, we determined that peripheral-type facial palsy due to supranuclear lesions developed in 10 patients with stroke. We thought that the upper and lower facial muscles were receiving motor projections from the contralateral, primary motor cortex. In addition, we declare that cerebrovascular diseases should also be considered in patients aged 60 years and above and developing peripheral-type facial palsy with metabolic and vascular risk factors.