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DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722618
Ramsay Hunt's Syndrome in Pediatric Age
Abstract
The Ramsay Hunt's syndrome (RHS), caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), is an infrequent cause of peripheral facial palsy in the pediatric patients. A 16-year-old adolescent boy presented with headache, right earache, and signs of lower motor neuron type facial palsy. He was medicated with deflazacort. Four days later, he developed blurry vision in the right eye, gait imbalance, and vesicular lesions in the right ear with decreased ipsilateral hearing acuity. A diagnosis of RHS was considered. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed pleocytosis, as well as VZV DNA. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain identified abnormal uptake of gadolinium contrast in the right seventh cranial nerve, reinforcing the diagnosis. The patient was treated with acyclovir (14 days) and prednisone, with progressive clinical improvement. We emphasize the importance of recognizing this syndrome in patients with facial palsy, since the early antiviral treatment significantly improves the prognosis.
Publication History
Received: 18 November 2020
Accepted: 08 December 2020
Article published online:
02 February 2021
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