Leukemic involvement of the temporal bone is not uncommon, but facial paralysis is rare as the presenting sign. A 16-year-old boy suddenly developed otalgia, facial nerve paralysis, tinnitus and vertigo. Four months age, acute myelogenic leukemia
was
detected and chemotherapy was done with incomplete resolution. The initial examination revealed facial nerve paralysis, mixed hearing loss, spontaneous nystagmus but peripheral blood picture was normal. On the fourth hospital day, simple
mastoidectomy
was performed for drainage and diagnosis. The harvested tissue showed leukemic infiltration and subsequent peripheral blood picture revealed immature cells. Patient refused further evaluation and chemotherapy and three months later he died of
intracranial hemorrhage. We report a case of acute myelogenic leukemia with facial nerve paralysis.
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