A Case of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adolescent Presenting with Bell's Palsy.

Kim,  Tai Sung; Cho,  Won Kyung; Cho,  Kyoung Soon; Park,  So Hyun; Hahn,  Seung Hoon; Jung,  Min Ho; Suh,  Byung Kyu

doi:2012.17.4.258

Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab > Volume 17(4); 2012 > Article

Case Report

Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism 2012;17(4): 258-261.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2012.17.4.258

A Case of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adolescent Presenting with Bell's Palsy.

Tai Sung Kim, Won Kyung Cho, Kyoung Soon Cho, So Hyun Park, Seung Hoon Hahn, Min Ho Jung, Byung Kyu Suh

Department of Pediatrics, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea. soon926@hanmail.net

Abstract

Bell's palsy is manifested by unilateral facial paralysis, but its cause is not clearly elucidated yet. Though the relationship between Bell's palsy and diabetes mellitus (DM) has been well established in adults, the relationship is not obvious in children and adolescents. Here, we report a case of adolescent Bell's palsy accompanied by DM. In this case, steroids were used for the treatment of Bell's palsy, and the blood glucose level in the patients was well controlled by metformin alone without additional use of insulin. We suggest that the presence of diabetes should be determined by blood test in the childhood and adolescent patients with facial paralysis, especially who are obese. As the use of steroids, however, is associated with the elevated blood glucose levels, it should be used with caution.

Keywords: Bell palsy;Diabetes mellitus;Adolescent