Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome revisited as a misdiagnosed disease.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to attract our college's attention to the Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS), which has been an infrequently encountered subject in otolaryngology journals during the last 10 years.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the last 10 years' patient database was performed to find patients with MRS. The medical files, treatment charts, and radiological and histopathological records of these patients were reviewed.


RESULTS
The study group consisted of 3 MRS patients who had been misdiagnosed for 9, 10, and 16 years. Two of them have had the symptoms since adolescence. All of them presented orofacial edema and fissured tongue, whereas first two also had recurrent facial paralysis. Characteristic histopathological features were noted in 1 patient. Electromyography (EMG) was done in 1 patient who underwent facial decompressiom. All patients responded to either systemic or intralesional corticosteroid treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
In the daily practice of an otolaryngologist, it is not usual to diagnose a patient as having MRS. We consider that this is partly because of misdiagnosis. We therefore believe that this study will supply an additional aspect to otolaryngologists, in the scope of recurrent facial paralysis and orofacial edema in both children and adults.
Ozgursoy
Ozan Bagis
OB
Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. ozanozgursoy@yahoo.com
Karatayli Ozgursoy
Selmin
S
Tulunay
Ozden
O
Kemal
Ozgur
O
Akyol
Aynur
A
Dursun
Gursel
G
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004576:Electromyography; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008556:Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014063:Tongue, Fissured / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones