Jugular foramen syndrome caused by varicella zoster virus infection in a patient with ipsilateral hypoplasia of the jugular foramen.
We report a patient with acute cranial polyneuropathy with unilateral involvement of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh cranial nerves. Although this patient lacked a typical cutaneous herpetic manifestation, elevated levels of IgM and IgG antibodies to varicella zoster virus (VZV) in both the serum and cerebrospinal fluid confirmed the clinical diagnosis of VZV infection and zoster sine herpete. Coexisting hypoplasia of the ipsilateral jugular foramen was detected using three-dimensional, surface-rendering displays reconstructed from the cranial helical CT scan. The patient recovered almost completely following treatment with an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid. Anatomical narrowing of the jugular foramen in this patient may have contributed to entrapment of the affected nerves at their passage through the foramen.
Hayashi
T
T
Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. thayashi-tky@umin.ac.jp
Murayama
S
S
Sakurai
M
M
Kanazawa
I
I
D000055:Accessory Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior / Q000002:abnormalities*; D020804:Encephalitis, Varicella Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005930:Glossopharyngeal Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D019291:Skull Base / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013577:Syndrome; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology