Multiple Cranial Nerve Involvement Caused By Herpes Zoster Oticus Infection

Multiple Cranial Nerve Involvement Caused By Herpes Zoster Oticus Infection
Ýrem Fatma Uludað, Nilüfer Yýldýrým, Ufuk Þener, Yaþar Zorlu
Clinic of Neurology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
Varicella zoster infection is an important cause of cranial neuropathy. In Ramsay Hunt syndrome caused by herpes zoster oticus, the involvement of the vestibulocochlear nerve can be seen with peripheral facial palsy, but the involvement of the other cranial nerves is not frequent. A 59-years-old male patient referred to our clinic with diplopia, deafness, dysphagia, and hoarseness after herpes zoster oticus infection. In neurologic examination there was revealed 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th cranial nerve involvement on the left. On imaging and laboratory studies, there was no other pathology other than herpes zoster oticus infection to explain the multiple cranial nerve involvement. Our case is one of the very rare cases of multiple cranial nerve involvement due to herpes zoster oticus infection.