Untersuchungen zum Zoster oticus

Abstract

Women have a greater risk of falling ill at a zoster oticus than men. Although more than 72 hours is behind the beginning of the symptoms in this study, treatment with virostatic drugs should always be carried out in zoster oticus. Different therapy methods do not have any influence to the success therapy of the therapy. The facial nerve showed the best cure trend. A postzosteric pain develops approximately the half of the cases at the zoster oticus. The serological diagnostic is not necessary in clinically clear cases.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome

“…In a retrospective analysis of the location of herpetiform lesions in 91 patients with herpes zoster oticus, Walther et al found isolated lesions on the external ear in 40.6 % of patients as well as combined involvement of the external ear and external auditory canal in 25.3 %. Overall, the authors observed simultaneous topographic occurrence of cutaneous lesions in 13 different combinations [7]. The acute pain considered obligatory for herpes zoster oticus also manifests within Hunt's zone and can project into neighboring regions of the face and nape of the neck.…”

“…In reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus in the facial nerve, clinically manifesting as herpes zoster oticus, Walther et al observed peripheral facial nerve paresis in 87 % of their patients and Pampus et al in 91 % of their 35 patients. Both groups of authors observed a predisposition in women and increased occurrence in the fifth and sixth decade of life [7,18]. The studies by Robillard et al led to comparable epidemiological results.…”

“…At the start of the 20 th century Hunt reported in a series of publications the occurrence of herpetiform lesions on the concha of the ear or oral mucosa in combination of various neurological disturbances mainly of the cranial nerves [6]. The close anatomic relationship between the affected cranial nerves, their individual anastomoses among each other and with the upper cervical spinal ganglia as well as the possibility of primary involvement of multiple ganglia are considered the causes of the variability in particular of clinical neurological symptoms and simultaneously explain the in part divergent definition of RHS [7,8]. According to Malin et al [9] the diagnosis RHS can be made when in addition to herpes zoster oticus with peripheral facial nerve paresis further cranial nerve lesions and sensory disturbances in cervical dermatomes are present (Table 1).…”

“…The acute pain considered obligatory for herpes zoster oticus also manifests within Hunt's zone and can project into neighboring regions of the face and nape of the neck. The patients frequently experience the complaints as an earache [7,18]. On the oral mucosa further herpetiform lesions can be observed on the ipsilateral anterior two-thirds of the tongue or on the palate.…”

“…The damage to sensory fibers of the facial nerve leads to taste disturbances in the anterior twothirds of the affected half of the tongue as well as to a reduction of tear, nasal and saliva secretion [20,21]. A lesion of the vestibulocochlear nerve, the eighth cranial nerve, can be expected in about 40-50 % of patients [7,8,20]. Nausea with or without vomiting is always an expression of vestibularis damage [18].…”