2019 Volume 16 Issue 2 Pages 136-139
We report a case of advanced esophageal cancer with Ramsey Hunt syndrome, which developed to generalized her-pes zoster and meningoencephalitis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A 70’s female with locally advanced esophageal cancer was admitted to our hospital for treatment. She received two courses of chemotherapy consisted of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant therapy. After the second course of chemotherapy, headache, reddening of the pinna, facial palsy and eruptions of the body were observed. Cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed menin-goencephalitis. Based on these findings, she was diagnosed as Ramsey Hunt syndrome concomitant with generalized herpes zoster and meningoencephalitis. She was treated with Aciclovir and steroid. Her facial movement and eruptions of the body were recovered. Then, we planned two-stage operation for esophageal cancer. She underwent esophagectomy and esophagostomy first, and then the secondary reconstruction using gastric tube was performed. At 20 days after the esophageal reconstruction, CT revealed multiple lymph nodes and hepatic metastasis, and she died at 36 days after the operation. In this case, Ramsey Hunt syndrome developed to generalized herpes zoster and meningoencephalitis because of immunosuppressive condition. Ramsey Hunt syndrome during chemotherapy should be taken care, as it may rapidly progress to generalized herpes zoster.
