Bell palsy is a non-progressive neurological condition characterized by the acute onset of ipsilateral seventh cranial nerve paralysis. People who suffer from this type of facial paralysis develop a droop on one side of their face, or sometimes both. This condition is distinguished by a sudden onset of facial paralysis accompanied by clinical features such as mild fever, postauricular pain, dysgeusia, hyperacusis, facial changes, and drooling or dry eyes. Epidemiological evidence suggests that 15 to 23 people per 100,000 are affected each year, with a recurrence rate of 12%. It could be caused by ischaemic compression of the seventh cranial nerve, which could be caused by viral inflammation. Pregnant women, people with diabetes, and people with respiratory infections are more likely to have facial paralysis than the general population. Immune, viral, and ischemic pathways are all thought to play a role in the development of Bell paralysis, but the exact cause is unknown. However, there is evidence that Bell's hereditary proclivity to cause paralysis is a public health issue that has a greater impact on patients and their families. Delay or untreated Bell paralysis may contribute to an increased risk of facial impairment, as well as a negative impact on the patient's quality of life. For management, antiviral agents such as acyclovir and valacyclovir, and steroid treatment are recommended. Thus, early diagnosis accompanied by treatment of the uncertain etiology of the disorder is crucial. This paper reviews mechanistic approaches, and emerging medical perspectives on recent developments that encounter Bell palsy disorder.
We report a case of Japanese encephalitis that occurred in a woman who had spent only a few days in an area where she could have been exposed to the virus. The risks and protective efficacy of vaccination against Japanese encephalitis virus for travellers who visit endemic areas for only a short period are discussed.
Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is known to occur in conjunction with primary varicella or chickenpox infection. The majority of ARN cases reported in the literature were of milder form with mild to moderate vitritis, limited retinitis, and rare occurrence of retinal breaks or detachment that responded well to intravenous acyclovir, with or without oral prednisolone. We report a case of unilateral ARN with marked vitritis and retinal necrosis leading to retinal breaks following chickenpox in a 32-year-old healthy lady. This patient was successfully treated with intravenous acyclovir followed by oral acyclovir and orbital floor triamcinolone injections to contain the inflammation with barrier laser therapy to secure the retinal breaks with good visual outcome. This case is unusual in its severity, and to our knowledge, orbital floor triamcinolone therapy was not used earlier to contain ARN inflammation.
The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and outcome of herpes zoster hospitalised children with cancer in Kota Baru. It was a retrospective review from January 1994 to December 1998. The diagnosis of herpes zoster was a clinical one. Herpes zoster was diagnosed in 10 of 188 (5%) children with malignancy. The most common malignancy was leukaemia. Nine children were treated with acyclovir. No child developed visceral dissemination and there were no deaths.
Primary varicella-zoster virus infection in children with haematological malignancy is a life threatening disease. In one year, there were 10 cases of varicella and 2 cases of zoster among these children as well as 5 mothers who were accompanying their children who developed varicella in the oncology ward. Two children died of fulminating disease despite aggressive antiviral and supportive treatment. Acyclovir can be used in treatment and prophylaxis in exposed susceptible children. Varicella -zoster immune globulin is not available in this country. Vaccination with live virus has been shown to be protective in immunocompromised children and needs consideration.