Ramsay Hunt syndrome

• Published in: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 238 - 243
• Main Authors: Wagner, Gunnar, Klinge, Harald, Sachse, Michael Max
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2012; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Acyclovir - therapeutic use; acyclovir-corticosteroid therapy; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; cranial nerve lesions; facial palsy; herpes zoster oticus; Herpes Zoster Oticus - diagnosis; Herpes Zoster Oticus - drug therapy; Humans; zoster sine herpete
• ISSN: 1610-0379; 1610-0387
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1610-0387.2012.07894.x

Summary  Ramsay Hunt syndrome is defined as herpes zoster oticus associated with an acute peripheral facial nerve paresis and quite often with other cranial nerve lesions. The combination of motor, sensory and autonomic involvement leads to a variety of neurological damage patterns, i. e. facial muscle paresis, hearing and balance disorders, sensory problems and disturbances of taste as well as lacrimal and nasal secretion. Additional variability of the clinical picture of Ramsay Hunt syndrome is produced by varying patterns of skin involvement explained by individual anastomoses between cranial and cervical nerves. Knowledge of these findings and an early diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome are important as prognosis of cranial nerve damage depends on the time at which acyclovir‐ corticosteroid therapy is started.