Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Nov 2002
Viral titers and delayed facial palsy after acoustic neuroma surgery.
Delayed facial palsy (DFP) after acoustic neuroma surgery has been reported to occur in up to one third of cases. Reactivation of latent virus has been proposed as an etiology for DFP. However, only retrospective case reports and case series have offered data to support this theory. The objective of this study was to correlate DFP with change in viral titers. ⋯ Elevation of the IgM titers of the viruses measured in this study implies that recrudescence of the virus has occurred. The absence of this rise among patients who did not develop DFP implies that viral recrudescence plays a role in the etiology of DFP. These findings support treatment or prophylaxis of DFP with antiviral therapy.