Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1996 Jan 1;124(1 Pt 1):27-30.
doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-124-1_part_1-199601010-00005.

Bell palsy and herpes simplex virus: identification of viral DNA in endoneurial fluid and muscle

S Murakami  1 , M Mizobuchi, Y Nakashiro, T Doi, N Hato, N Yanagihara
Affiliations

Bell palsy and herpes simplex virus: identification of viral DNA in endoneurial fluid and muscle

S Murakami et al. Ann Intern Med. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes Bell palsy.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: University inpatient service.

Patients: 14 patients with Bell palsy, 9 patients with the Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, and 12 other controls.

Measurements: Viral genomes of HSV-1, varicella-zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus were analyzed in clinical samples of facial nerve endoneurial fluid and posterior auricular muscle using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by hybridization with Southern blot analysis.

Results: Herpes simplex virus type 1 genomes were detected in 11 of 14 patients (79%) with Bell palsy but not in patients with the Ramsay-Hunt syndrome or in other controls. The nucleotide sequences of the PCR fragments were identical to those of the HSV-1 genome.

Conclusions: Herpes simplex virus type 1 is the major etiologic agent in Bell palsy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Herpes simplex virus and Bell palsy.
    Baringer JR. Baringer JR. Ann Intern Med. 1996 Jan 1;124(1 Pt 1):63-5. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-124-1_part_1-199601010-00010. Ann Intern Med. 1996. PMID: 7503479 No abstract available.
  • Bell palsy and herpes simplex virus.
    Devriese PP. Devriese PP. Ann Intern Med. 1996 Oct 15;125(8):698-9. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-125-8-199610150-00023. Ann Intern Med. 1996. PMID: 8849165 No abstract available.

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources