Article Text
Summary
Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster oticus) is a rare complication of latent Varicella Zoster virus infection. It can be complicated by permanent hearing loss, loss of taste and postherpetic neuralgia. Although Ramsay Hunt syndrome most prominently involves the facial nerve, a number of other cranial nerves can be involved such as the vestibulocochlear, glossopharyngeal and the vagus nerve. We report on a case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome with cranial polyneuritis complicated by atrial fibrillation. Vagal involvement as evidenced by physical examination and MRI findings was present in our patient. We hypothesise that viral vagal neuritis likely contributed to the development of atrial fibrillation in our patient through involvement of the autonomic components of the vagus nerve.
- arrhythmias
- infectious diseases
- cranial nerves
- infection
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Footnotes
Contributors FA, DM, R-AF drafted the case report and jointly drafted the discussion. FA obtained the images, patient consent and MRI images. MK was the attending physician and reviewed the case for accuracy and approved the final draft.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent Obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.