title: Chickenpox and the geniculate ganglion: facial nerve palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome and acyclovir treatment.
abstract: Facial nerve palsy has long been considered to have an infectious etiology. Recent diagnostic analyses in children and adults have provided convincing evidence that reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), sometimes during infectious mononucleosis, can lead to cranial nerve VII palsy. The site of reactivation from latency is the geniculate ganglion. Virus most likely enters the ganglion during chickenpox, via the sensory branches of the facial nerve located on the ear and tongue. Retrospective reviews suggest that patients with VZV-related facial nerve palsy have poorer outcomes than other cases of Bell's palsy. Therefore treatment with acyclovir is suggested when VZV reactivation i slikely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA. charles-grose@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grose
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonthius
authors.forename: Adel K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Afifi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005830:Geniculate Ganglion / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016697:Herpes Zoster Oticus / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017735:Virus Latency