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Characteristics of patients with acute peripheral facial palsy showing Varicella zoster virus DNA in saliva
Author(s) -
Chang Dong Sik,
Lee Jun,
Shin Sun Ae,
Lee Ho Yun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.25030
Subject(s) - varicella zoster virus , saliva , medicine , rash , polymerase chain reaction , virus , etiology , virology , palsy , real time polymerase chain reaction , immunology , dermatology , biology , pathology , gene , alternative medicine , biochemistry
Infection caused by Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a common etiology of acute peripheral facial palsy (APFP). We aimed to assess the clinical significance of detecting VZV DNA from the saliva of patients with APFP. Saliva collected from 36 patients with unilateral APFP at initial visit was analyzed to detect VZV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. The House‐Brackmann (HB) scale was used to evaluate FP severity on admission day, at week 2, and at weeks 10‐12 after start of treatment. Among the 28 patients without rash, VZV DNA was detected in 3 patients (10.7%); 6 of 8 patients (75.0%) with rash showed VZV DNA ( P = 0.001). VZV DNA‐positive patients had worse hearing than VZV DNA‐negative patients ( P < 0.05). A significantly higher proportion of VZV DNA‐negative patients (96.3%) showed complete recovery than VZV DNA‐positive patients (55.6%) ( P = 0.006). In conclusion, VZV DNA‐positive patients had worse hearing and incomplete recovery compared to VZV DNA‐negative patients, irrespective of the presence of rash. Tests for the detection of VZV DNA in saliva may be helpful for early differential diagnosis and choosing an appropriate medical treatment of APFP.