[Acute, isolated and reversible paralysis of the soft palate in childhood]

Unilateral spinal and accessory palsy is uncommon in children. The main problem is the extensive exploration undertaken to achieve etiological diagnosis.

We report two cases of transitory, unilateral, spinal and accessory palsy, associated in one case with homolateral hemi-pharyngeal palsy, that occurred in two previously healthy children.

Few reports have been published in the literature to date. From those two cases and data of the literature, we suggest that the clinical presentation results from idiopathic peripheral nerve palsy.

Further case reports would be useful to confirm the benign nature of this syndrome so that complementary investigations may be limited in future cases with a similar presentation.