Wegener's granulomatosis with multiple cranial nerve involvements as the initial clinical manifestations

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a disease of unknown origin characterized by necrotizing granulomas of both the upper and lower respiratory tracts and glomerulonephritis. A 62-year-old woman presenting unusual neurological manifestations is reported. The patient suffered from palsies of multiple cranial nerves without manifestation of respiratory tracts in the initial clinical course. Seven years after the onset, pulmonary consolidations appeared on the chest X-ray study. A diagnosis was made by a needle biopsy of the lung. Palsies of cranial nerves suspected to be due to meningeal involvement of WG. During the entire clinical course, no finding of glomerulonephritis was observed.