gms | German Medical Science

GMS Current Posters in Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNOKHC)

ISSN 1865-1038

A case report of sore throat due to herpes zoster of the ninth cranial nerve

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GMS Curr Posters Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2012;8:Doc46

doi: 10.3205/cpo000699, urn:nbn:de:0183-cpo0006997

Published: April 19, 2012

© 2012 Bardanis.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Abstract

Introduction – Objective: Herpes zoster of the ninth cranial nerve (glossopharyngeal) is usually described in the course of Ramsay hunt syndrome, or in case of multiple cranial nerve palsies. This paper aims at reporting a case of herpes zoster of merely and exclusively the ninth cranial nerve.

Case report: We report of a 69-year old immunocompetent male, who visited the outpatient ward of the ENT Department of the General Hospital of Ikaria almost two years ago. He was complaining of a sore throat to such a degree that he had not swallowed any solid food during the previous week. During standard examination of the oropharynx a lot of small ulcers and vesicles were observed unilaterally on the left side. Indirect laryngoscopy proved the presence of similar findings on the left side of the lingual tonsil and on the upper part of epiglottis. The diagnosis of herpes zoster of the left glossopharyngeal nerve was established. He was administered valacyclovir (1gr 3 times a day) per os for one week. On the second day of the treatment he started feeling better and he was able to swallow solid food. No complications, no recurrence has been observed during a 2-year follow-up.