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Sjögren's syndrome: an unusual cause of Bell's palsy
  1. M HADITHI,
  2. F STAM,
  3. A J M DONKER
  1. B A C DIJKMANS
  1. Department of Internal Medicine
  2. Department of Rheumatology
  3. Academic Hospital Vrije Universiteit
  4. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  1. m.hadithi{at}azvu.nl

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The most common form of facial paralysis is idiopathic—that is, Bell's palsy. Sjögren's syndrome (SS), a chronic inflammatory disorder characterised by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands resulting in the so called “sicca complex”, is a rare secondary cause of this self limiting illness. Primary SS includes mostly peripheral, and to a lesser extent cranial, autonomic neuropathy and central nervous system involvement.1 A patient with unilateral facial palsy, autoimmune hypothyroidism, and Sjögren's syndrome is presented.

A 41 year old woman developed right sided facial numbness, described as “dentist anaesthesia for tooth extraction”. One day later she had a reduced sense of taste and right facial weakness. General physical examination was …

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