Beta thalassemia intermedia
Patients with beta thalassemia intermedia require no transfusions or may require episodic blood transfusions during certain circumstances (infection, pregnancy, surgery). Patients with frequent transfusions may develop iron overload and require chelation therapy. Transmission is autosomal recessive; however, dominant mutations and compound heterozygotes have been reported. Genetic counseling is recommended and prenatal diagnosis may be offered. Beta thalassemia minor
Patients with beta thalassemia minor are usually asymptomatic and are often monitored without treatment. Beta thalassemia minor may coexist with other conditions such as chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease that, when combined or co-existing, may cause a person to have iron overload of the liver and more severe liver disease. Epidemiology
The beta form of thalassemia is particularly prevalent among the Mediterranean peoples and this geographical association is responsible for its naming: thalassa (θάλασσα) is the Greek word for sea and haima (αἷμα) is the Greek word for blood. In Europe, the highest concentrations of the disease are found in Greece and the Turkish coastal regions. The major Mediterranean islands (except the Balearics) such as Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Cyprus, Malta and Crete are heavily affected in particular. Other Mediterranean peoples, as well as those in the vicinity of the Mediterranean, also have high incidence rates, including people from West Asia and North Africa. The data indicate that 15% of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots are carriers of beta-thalassaemia genes, while 10% of the population carry alpha-thalassaemia genes.
Facial weakness is a medical sign associated with a variety of medical conditions.Some specific conditions associated with facial weakness include:
Stroke
Neurofibromatosis
Bells palsy
Ramsay Hunt syndrome
Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak
Myasthenia gravis

See also
Acute facial nerve paralysis
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

References
External links

Differential diagnosis
Diagram of appearance in stroke