Partial Anterior Opercular Syndrome as Surgical Complication: Case Presentation and Brief Review of Literature

Anterior opercular syndrome (a.k.a. Foix–Chavany–Marie syndrome) is a rare neurological condition, described as a paralysis of the mouth and tongue usually caused by a bilateral lesion of the frontal opercular area. The patient presents with speaking, chewing, and swallowing impairment, but autonomic and emotional functions—like smiling and yawning—are typically preserved. We present our patient’s clinical data after critical analysis, together with a brief literature review about anterior opercular syndrome caused by unilateral opercular lesions. To our knowledge, less than 20 cases of anterior opercular syndrome caused by unilateral lesions are described in the literature. In some patients, a contralateral lesion can be detected on brain imaging in regions different from the anterior opercular cortex. This syndrome can rarely occur as a consequence of unilateral opercular cortex damage. The possible role of contralateral lesions located in neuronal pathways functionally related to the anterior operculum requires further investigation.