title: Serology in facial paralysis caused by clinically presumed herpes zoster infection.
abstract: In some cases of peripheral facial palsy due to a clinically suspected varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, the clinical diagnosis is not supported by serological tests. In a retrospective study, we examined the sera from 63 patients with clinical findings compatible with VZV infection: 57 had paired sera and 6 had single sera. In the paired-sera group, 18 cases were serologically negative initially by complement fixation (CF), while 9 of these cases were actually positive for VZV when CF was combined with ELISA. Moreover, evidence for a recent mumps virus infection was found in 6 patients and 1 patient was diagnosed as having recent mumps and cytomegalo-virus (CMV) infections. In the 6 single sera studied, the ELISA was suggestive of a recent infection with VZV (4 cases) and CMV (1 case).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Njoo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wertheim-van Dillen
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Devriese
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009107:Mumps / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral