抄録
It is known that Ramsay Hunt's syndrome is caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus in ganglion cells and its spread to the cranial nerves and cutaneous tissue. This syndrome consists of facial nerve paralysis and vestibulocochlear symptoms associated with vesicular eruptions of the auricle and external auditory canal, and other cranial nerves are occasionally involved. The mechanism of the spread of inflammation to these organs has not been sufficiently clarified. Therefore, this clinical study was performed concerning the spread of inflammation in Ramsay Hunt's syndrome.
72 patients with Ramsay Hunt's syndrome were investigated their progressive course of vesicular eruptions and facial nerve palsy. There were 38 males and 34 females ranging in age from 15 to 79 years. Of the 42 patients without vestibulocochlear symptoms, 9 were eruptions preceding cases (22%), 19 were palsy preceding cases (46%) and 14 were simultaneously occurred cases (33%). Of the 30 patients with vestibulocochlear disorders, however, 20 were simultaneously occurred cases (67%) and 10 were eruptions proceeding cases (33%), and there were no palsy preceding cases.
In this study, it was suggested that patients with neural spread of inflammation in the initial stage may have accompanied vestibulocochlear disorders in addition to their facial nerve paralysis.
