A Rare Case of Cranial Nerve VII Neuropraxia Associated with Alveolar Nerve Blocks
Stephen Allegra1, Richard Church1, Veera Sudireddy1
1University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts.
Case Presentation:
A 26-year-old male presented to our emergency department for six days of right-sided facial myasthenia and parasthesias following a dental procedure using anesthetic nerve blocks.
Discussion:
Iatrogenic cranial nerve VII neuropraxia, a peripheral nerve injury, is an uncommon complication of alveolar nerve blocks with few documented cases specifically due to dental anesthesia. Treatment usually involves use of oral corticosteroid and/or antiviral medications along with close follow-up in clinic with a neurologist and/or otolaryngologist.
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