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Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Ramsay Hunt syndrome: Introduction

Ramsay Hunt syndrome: Facial paralysis with a vesicular eruption. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Ramsay Hunt syndrome is available below.

Symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

• Rash
• Vesicular eruption
• Otalgia
• Paralysis of facial muscles
• Pruritus
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 10 symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Ramsay Hunt syndrome: Complications

Read more about complications of Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Disease Topics Related To Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Ramsay Hunt syndrome:

• Geniculate neuralgia
• Herpes zoster oticus
• Nervus intermedius neuralgia
• Herpesvirus 3
• Varicella-zoster virus
• VZV
• more related diseases...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome?

• Misdiagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome
• Hidden causes of Ramsay Hunt syndrome (possibly wrongly diagnosed)

Misdiagnosis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Ramsay Hunt syndrome- recovery depends on nerve damage: The Ramsay Hunt syndrome is herpes zoster affecting the geniculate ganglion. This syndrome develops when the varicella virus becomes reactivated from the geniculate ganglion. It is seen as a disease of older people but it can affect all ages including children. It usually presents with a paroxysmal attack of deep seated pain in the ear which slowly progresses to be diffuse in nature and continuous type with vesicles, vertigo, facial palsy causing a crooked smile and tinnitus. Making the diagnosis is very difficult when the presentation is simply pain in the ear. It is usually mistaken for Bell's palsy but the presence of vesicles helps in coming to a diagnosis. But in cases of children vesicles may not be present and this could alter the diagnosis. Presence of vertigo may change the diagnosis to acute labyrinthitis. The more severe the damage the longer it will take to recover. Early diagnosis is useful in starting an early treatment of steroids and antiviral agents for the syndrome....read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Causes of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

• Varicella-zoster virus
• more causes...»

Read more about causes of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Read more about causes of Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Medical research articles related to Ramsay Hunt syndrome include:

• Corticosteroids as adjuvant to antiviral treatment in Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster oticus with facial palsy) in adults
• Antiviral therapy for Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster oticus with facial palsy) in adults
• What is the best treatment for ramsay hunt syndrome?
• Is there any evidence for prescribing antivirals in any patient with shingles, independent of location or age?
• Ramsay Hunt syndrome
• Ramsey Hunt syndrome
• Ramsay-Hunt syndrome
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Ramsay Hunt syndrome

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Patient Surveys for Ramsay Hunt syndrome

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Reseach about Ramsay Hunt syndrome

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Ramsay Hunt syndrome: Broader Related Topics

• Shingles
• more types...»

Types of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Types of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

• Ramsay Hunt Syndrome Type 1
• Ramsay Hunt Syndrome Type 2
• more types...»

Read more about Types of Ramsay Hunt syndrome

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Definitions of Ramsay Hunt syndrome:

A syndrome characterized by facial palsy in association with a herpetic eruption of the external auditory meatus. This may occasionally be associated with tinnitus, vertigo, deafness, severe otalgia, and inflammation of the pinna. The condition is caused by reactivation of a latent HERPESVIRUS 3, HUMAN infection which causes inflammation of the facial and vestibular nerves, and may occasionally involve additional cranial nerves. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p757) - (Source - Diseases Database)

Syndrome resulting from infection by the herpes varicella zoster virus; characterized by vertigo and pain in the ears and facial nerve paralysis and sometimes hearing loss - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Ramsay Hunt syndrome, or a subtype of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Ramsay Hunt syndrome as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet

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