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Polyneuritis cranialis from varicella zoster virus reactivation

Jesse A Schnall, Sadid F Khan, Luigi Zolio, Jason C Ray and Adam WJ Jenney
Med J Aust 2020; 213 (8): . || doi: 10.5694/mja2.50791
Published online: 19 October 2020

A 68‐year‐old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and stage II chronic kidney disease, presented to hospital with a 24‐hour history of right‐sided facial paralysis and 3 days of horizontal diplopia. He had received 4 days of oral ciprofloxacin and oral prednisolone (37.5 mg) for 2 weeks of progressive right‐sided facial swelling with otalgia, initially thought to be otitis externa.


  • 1 Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2 Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
  • 3 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC


Correspondence: jesse.schnall@austin.org.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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  • 2. Zoster (Herpes Zoster): Australian Government Department of Health: Australian Immunisation Handbook; 2018. https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/vaccine-preventable-diseases/zoster-herpes-zoster (viewed Jan 2020).
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  • 5. Kim YH, Chang MY, Jung HH, et al. Prognosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome presenting as cranial polyneuropathy. Laryngoscope 2010; 120: 2270–2276.

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