PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Harriet A Cunniffe
AU  - Nicholas G Cunniffe
TI  - Herpes zoster oticus with meningitis masquerading as malignant otitis externa
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2019-229569
DP  - 2019 Jun 01
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - e229569
VI  - 12
IP  - 6
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/6/e229569.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/6/e229569.full
SO  - BMJ Case Reports2019 Jun 01; 12
AB  - This is a case of an 85-year-old woman whom was admitted with otalgia and an abducens nerve palsy alongside a Pseudomonas otitis externa; she was presumed to have malignant otitis externa. However, despite optimum treatment and resolution of her otitis externa, she went on to develop an ipsilateral facial nerve palsy and sensorineural hearing loss. After further investigation, it was discovered that varicella-zoster meningitis was causing her polyneuropathy. She eventually responded to antivirals and steroids and, at follow-up, her sixth and seventh cranial nerve palsies had completely resolved, though a hearing deficit remained. This case highlights the importance of keeping a diagnosis under review, with the help of the multidisciplinary team, when the clinical course is not progressing as expected.