Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome in a patient with Hashimoto disease

Introduction: Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) is a rare neurologic disease of unknown etiology. It is characterized by a triad of symptoms: relapsing peripheral facial paralysis; orofacial edema and fissured tongue. The pathological findings are varied but often characterized by the presence of noncaseating granuloma. There are few cases of MRS coexistent with Hashimoto disease in the literature. Purpose: To present a case of MRS coexistent with Hashimoto disease. Case presentation: We report a case of a 32-year-old woman with coexisting MRS and autoimmune thyroiditis, Hashimoto disease. Fissured tongue and recurrent cheilitis of the upper lip were observed. In her medical history, she had facial nerve palsy. Histopathological examination of the upper lips mucose membrane revealed the presence of granulomas confirming the diagnosis. Conclusions: Cooperation between clinicians and histopathologists is vital in diagnosing MRS. The presence of the anti-TPO antibodies in the case reported here could suggest a correlation between immunological alteration characteristics of autoimmune thyroiditis and MRS.