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Ultrasonography for the diagnosis of lyme disease in cases of acute facial paralysis
Author(s) -
Mann Wolf J.,
Amedee Ronald G.,
Schreiber Jorg
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199205000-00010
Subject(s) - medicine , facial paralysis , parotid gland , ultrasonography , paralysis , lyme disease , facial nerve , disease , radiology , surgery , pathology , virology
Ultrasonography of the parotid gland was introduced in 1989 as part of the diagnostic protocol of every patient treated in our clinics with acute facial paralysis. Ten of 50 patients so tested were found to have unilateral nonpalpable enlarged lymph nodes in the caudal portion of the parotid gland around the stylomastoid foramen. All 10 patients were eventually diagnosed as having Lyme disease. It is suggested that in patients with acute facial paralysis, ultrasonography is an inexpensive tool to improve diagnosis of Lyme disease and may have a more useful purpose in monitoring therapy.