An Interesting Case of Bell’s Palsy in Pregnancy Associated with COVID-19 Infection

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have reported that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be the cause of peripheral facial paralysis and neurological symptoms may be the only manifestation of the disease. Hereby, the authors report an interesting case of a pregnant COVID-19 positive female with Bell's palsy, in third trimester of pregnancy. A 33-year-old female, G3P0L0A2, presented with left-side deviation of angle of mouth, excessive lacrimation and redness of right eye for the past three days. She had involuntary drooling on right and left side labial commissural deviation, absence of forehead frowning, inability to close her right eye (positive Bell’s phenomena), and ipsilateral lagophthalmos. No lesions were seen on the external ear and otoscopy was normal. She was confirmed to have right-sided facial nerve palsy. She had an uneventful course of pregnancy till term and underwent caesarean section at 40 weeks, in view of foetal distress. Pregnancy and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, both are immunocompromised state, and hence could be a risk factor for Bell’s palsy. But larger studies with more cases are required to prove the causal association.