Central nervous system involvement in patients with facial palsy due to borrelial infection.
Patients with a peripheral facial palsy due to an underlying Ixodes-borne borreliosis often have cerebrospinal fluid findings indicating meningeal involvement. The aim of the present study was to identify signs of CNS involvement by means of brain-stem evoked response audiometry (BSER) in patients with a facial palsy due to borreliosis, as well as in patients with a facial palsy of unknown aetiology. Bell's palsy. Abnormalities in BSER were found to be significantly more common along the borrelial patients. Furthermore, a reversal of these abnormalities following treatment with benzyl-penicillin was found in the majority of patients with borreliosis. The results of the present study emphasize the importance of diagnosing and treating an underlying borreliosis in patients with a peripheral facial palsy.
Engervall
K
K
Department of Otolaryngology, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Carlsson-Nordlander
B
B
Bredberg
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response; D001899:Borrelia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000627:therapeutic use
D010400:Penicillin G