title: Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study characteristics of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) patients with facial palsy (FP) and differences in patients treated at the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical picture of MRS was studied from patient charts at two departments. Patients with FP received a questionnaire and were examined. Tissue biopsies were searched for non-necrotizing granulomatous infiltrations typical of MRS and blood DNA for UNC-93B1 gene mutations predisposing to herpesvirus infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, all 18 MRS patients had FP, 9 the triad form. Two patients revealed non-necrotizing granulomatous infiltrations during acute edema episodes; another two had association with uveitis. Edema was rarely persistent and did not dominate the clinical picture. No UNC-93B1 mutations were found. At the Department of Dermatology, 2 patients had triad MRS and 15 had monosymptomatic granulomatous cheilitis with persistent edema and typical MRS histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical picture of MRS with FP differed from the current knowledge of edema-dominated MRS. More studies focusing on MRS with FP would broaden our understanding of the syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. mervi.kanerva@fimnet.fi <mervi.kanerva@fimnet.fi>
authors.forename: Mervi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanerva
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moilanen
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Virolainen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaheri
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitkäranta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008556:Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C454130:UNC93B1 protein, human; D004247:DNA