Facial Nerve Palsy in Acute Leukaemia

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Abstract
During a 3 yr period, of 62 children and adults seen with lymphoblastic leukemia 6 developed unilateral facial paralysis during the course of their disease, compared to 0 of 54 adults and children with acute non-lymphatic leukemia seen during the same period. In all cases the problem arose in patients with refractory disease and was associated with the development of resistant bone marrow infiltration. The neuropathy showed no obvious response to intrathecal therapy. While meningeal infiltration was present at some stage in all but 1 of the 6, this waxed and waned independently of the facial palsy. Of the 6 cases described, 4 had stigmata of the T[thymus-derived]-cell variety of lymphoblastic leukemia, which is a significantly higher proportion than would be expected by chance. This apparent association with T-cell disease was not previously recognized.