Delayed facial paresis following tympanomastoid surgery in a pediatric patient.

Despite the presence of normal facial nerve function in the immediate postoperative period, patients may develop facial nerve dysfunction anywhere from several hours to several days after otologic surgery. This delayed facial paresis, following a broad range of otologic surgeries, has been well described in adults but not in pediatric patients. Viral reactivation is increasingly implicated as the underlying etiology of delayed facial paresis. We present a case of delayed facial paresis in a pediatric patient with a clinical course consistent with viral reactivation.