1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-22-39-b 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-22-5-9 Infectious Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Herpes Simplex Virus-1 and Bell's Palsy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 05 2008 01 02 2016 22 5 39 40 Copyright: © 2008 The Author(s) 2008 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Association between herpes simplex virus-1 infection and idiopathic unilateral facial paralysis in children and adolescents

The association between herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection and Bell palsy was determined in 47 children studied at Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY. Swabs of saliva and conjunctiva were taken for PCR testing.

 Herpes Simplex Virus-1 PCR Testing Epstein-Barr Virus

The association between herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection and Bell palsy was determined in 47 children studied at Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY. Swabs of saliva and conjunctiva were taken for PCR testing. To validate PCR testing, swabs were obtained from patients with oral lesions of herpes gingivostomatitis. An HSV-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was positive in 33 of 42 affected patients compared to 16 of 41 controls (P=0.0003). HSV-1 polymerase chain reaction was positive in 10 of 47 affected patients compared to 4 of 45 controls (P=0.08). The findings support an association between HSV-1 infection and Bell palsy in children. [1]

COMMENT. These findings in children confirm previous reports of a probable role for HSV-1 infection in adults with Bell's palsy. Acyclovir in treatment of Bell's palsy deserves further study. Other infectious causes reported include Epstein-Barr virus, mumps, enteroviruses, and rarely, varicella zoster virus (geniculate herpes, Ramsay Hunt syndrome).

Khine H Mayers M Avner JR Fox A Herold B Goldman DL Association between herpes simplex virus-1 infection and idiopathic unilateral facial paralysis in children and adolescents Pediatr Infect Dis J 2008 May 27 5 468 469 10.1097/INF.0b013e31816507c3 18360300