Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
We are sorry, but NCBI web applications do not support your browser and may not function properly. More information
    Ann Intern Med. 1996 Jan 1;124(1 Pt 1):27-30.

    Bell palsy and herpes simplex virus: identification of viral DNA in endoneurial fluid and muscle.

    Source

    Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE:

    To determine whether herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes Bell palsy.

    DESIGN:

    Prospective study.

    SETTING:

    University inpatient service.

    PATIENTS:

    14 patients with Bell palsy, 9 patients with the Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, and 12 other controls.

    MEASUREMENTS:

    Viral genomes of HSV-1, varicella-zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus were analyzed in clinical samples of facial nerve endoneurial fluid and posterior auricular muscle using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by hybridization with Southern blot analysis.

    RESULTS:

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 genomes were detected in 11 of 14 patients (79%) with Bell palsy but not in patients with the Ramsay-Hunt syndrome or in other controls. The nucleotide sequences of the PCR fragments were identical to those of the HSV-1 genome.

    CONCLUSIONS:

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 is the major etiologic agent in Bell palsy.

    Comment in

    PMID:
    7503474
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

      Supplemental Content

      Icon for Silverchair Information Systems

      Save items

      Recent activity

      Your browsing activity is empty.

      Activity recording is turned off.

      Turn recording back on

      See more...
      Write to the Help Desk