Open AccessBell’s palsy and choreiform movements during peginterferon α and ribavirin therapy
Author(s) -
Şener Barut,
Hatice Karaer,
Erol Öksüz,
Aslı Gündoğdu Eken,
Ayşe Nazlı Başak
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.15.3694
Subject(s) - choreiform movement , ribavirin , medicine , palsy , bell's palsy , movement disorders , alpha interferon , pediatrics , surgery , dyskinesia , parkinson's disease , chronic hepatitis , disease , virology , interferon , virus , pathology , alternative medicine
Neuropsychiatric side effects of long-term recombinant interferon-alpha therapy consist of a large spectrum of symptoms. In the literature, cranial neuropathy, especially Bell's palsy, and movement disorders, have been reported much less often than other neurotoxic effects. We report a case of Bell's palsy in a patient with chronic hepatitis C during peginterferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy. The patient subsequently developed clinically inapparent facial nerve involvement on the contralateral side and showed an increase in choreic movements related to Huntington's disease during treatment.