A 35-year-old man treated for a Crohn's disease presented with a second facial palsy in a setting of recurrent labial edema known since childhood. The diagnosis of Melkerson-Rosenthal syndrome was established. MRI showed a small T1 gadolinium-enhanced lesion of the facial nerve suggesting an inflammatory process. Similarities of pathologic lesions found in Melkerson-Rosenthal syndrome, Crohn's disease and sarcoidosis raise the question of the relationships between these disorders.