After a long drive with the window open a man developed a facial asymmetry; he cannot close his right eye, his right nasolabial fold is smoothed out, movements of expression are absent on the right, there is a disturbance of taste sensation in the tongue on the right. No other neurological abnormalities were detected. What disease can be provisionally diagnosed in this case?

Answer options

1. Ischemic stroke
2. Neuropathy of the facial nerve
3. Neuropathy of the oculomotor nerve
4. Trigeminal ganglionitis
5. Neuropathy of the trigeminal nerve

Explanation

The muscles of facial expression are controlled by the facial nerves. In addition, the facial nerve receives taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue via the chorda tympani. The taste sensation is sent to the gustatory portion (superior part) of the solitary nucleus. With these, our provisional diagnosis in this patient is Neuropathy of the facial nerve.