In response to the article by Baringer,1 we describe herein 2 cases of Bell palsy with unfavorable evolution in the course of herpes simplex virus infections.
Report of Cases
Patient 1 was a 62-year-old woman who, 5 days after the appearance of mucocutaneous lesions compatible with herpes simplex virus type 1, developed facial palsy with torpid evolution and irreversible residual damage.
Patient 2 was a 65-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with herpetic exanthema in the left ear suggestive of Ramsay Hunt syndrome. One week after admission to the hospital he developed Bell palsy, which persists with no neurophysiological signs of favorable outcome.
There were no further neurologic symptoms in either patient. In the second patient, vestibular and auditory examinations yielded normal results. In both patients, findings from a cerebral computed tomographic scan and cerebrospinal fluid studies were normal.
Patient 1 received therapy with corticosteroids (1 mg/kg per day for 10 days, 0.5 . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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