A patient presents with a left-sided facial droop. On further testing, you note that he is unable to wrinkle his forehead on the left and has decreased taste. Which of the following is true?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Because the forehead is also involved, this represents a peripheral nerve lesion of CN VII and does not represent a classic middle cerebral artery stroke. The latter would spare the upper face but include speech difficulties as well as upper extremity weakness on the ipsilateral side. One cause of this type of lesion is Lyme disease and relates to travel to endemic areas, so a careful travel history should be sought.

A Patient Presents with a Left-Sided Facial Droop