Acute pediatric facial nerve paralysis as the first indication for familial cerebral cavernoma: Case presentation and literature review

Familial cerebral cavernoma is an autosomal dominant phenotype with incomplete clinical and neuroimaging penetrance. The most common clinical manifestations include seizures and cerebral hemorrhage. We present the case of a 7-year-old boy who developed acute onset facial nerve paralysis secondary to previously unknown familial cerebral cavernoma. Genetic workup revealed a KRIT1 gene deletion which was later confirmed in the patient's asymptomatic father and younger brother.