Ramsey Hunt Syndrome!!!

Soo, Ramsey Hunt Syndrome involves the facial nerve, which we know is also known as the 7th cranial nerve, located just anterior and inferior to the pons. This nerve controls facial muscles and taste sensation. Basically you get Ramsey Hunt Syndrome by the chicken pox virus. After the symptons of chicken pox of subsided the virus itself, the varicella-zoster virus lies dormant within the nerves. There is no certain amount of years that triggers the virus, but it is most common in people over 60. In time the virus reactivates itself and infects the nerve, which causes the pathology. This virus is actually related to the herpes family of viruses, which cause sores on the mouth and genital herpes. It is also the same virus that causes shingles.

Symptoms of this pathology are fairly visible. A couple that stand out in my mind are painful red rash on your tympanic membrane, your external acoustic canal, and the roof of your mouth. You might also experience muscle weakness in your face. The palsy will be on the affected side of the ear. A constant feeling of unbalance (vertigo), change in taste, or tinnitus might also be symptons. The earlier you recognize these symptons as a problem the better. The earlier you catch it, the lesser chance you have of long-term conditions. Within seven days ensures the highest probability of a healthy recovery.

Doctors can most of the time be able to diagnose the pathology with the history of the patient. They may also may take fluid samples of blisters, or a blood test, though the fluid from the blisters is a more accurate diagnosis.

If the pathology is caught early enough, medications are given to fight the infection of the virus. Antiviral medications, corticosteroids to fight swelling and pain, diazepam for vertigo, or pain relievers are given. If a person suffers from facial palsy, physical therapy would be offered to regain strength in those facial muscles. The success rate of treatment depends on how far Ramsey Hunt Syndrome is progressed. There’s really nothing one can do to prevent the disease from coming on, but there are ways to try and lessen the discomfort. Make sure to keep the rash clean, apply cold compress to the rash, and keep good oral hygiene.


Below is a picture from a sagittal view of where the facial nerve is located in the head. It also give you an idea of how extentsive the nerve branches out into the face.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ramsay-hunt-syndrome/DS00878

Below is a T1 axial MRI view of an enlarged right facial nerve. Notice the difference from the right and the left nerves. The right is clearly visible over the left.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.medscape.com/content/2001/00/40/58/405875/art-fp1405.10.fig1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://medgenmed.medscape.com/viewarticle/405875_print&usg=__yPd_TCX458RjFh54tCAGfeuI66c=&h=334&w=400&sz=28&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=fsrLF3ZujstMeM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmri%2Bof%2Bramsey%2Bhunt%2Bsymdrome%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG