Korean J Hepatol.  2011 Dec;17(4):319-322. 10.3350/kjhep.2011.17.4.319.

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as facial nerve palsy and facial pain

• Yang JI
• Kang JM
• Byun HJ
• Chung GE
• Yim JY
• Park MJ
• Lee JH
• Yoon JH
• Lee HS

• KMID: 1792611
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/kjhep.2011.17.4.319

Abstract

Facial nerve palsy due to temporal bone metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has rarely been reported. We experienced a rare case of temporal bone metastasis of HCC that initially presented as facial nerve palsy and was diagnosed by surgical biopsy. This patient also discovered for the first time that he had chronic hepatitis B and C infections due to this facial nerve palsy. Radiation therapy greatly relieved the facial pain and facial nerve palsy. This report suggests that hepatologists should consider metastatic HCC as a rare but possible cause of new-onset cranial neuropathy in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Keyword

Metastasis; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Temporal bone; Cranial nerve palsy

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/*pathology
Facial Nerve Diseases/diagnosis/etiology
Facial Pain/etiology
Facial Paralysis/diagnosis/etiology
Hepatitis B, Chronic/diagnosis
Hepatitis C, Chronic/diagnosis
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Liver Neoplasms/complications/*pathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Positron-Emission Tomography
Skull Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/secondary
Tomography, X-Ray Computed