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Facial nerve palsy after human herpesvirus 6 infection

Anne Pitkäranta1, Pekka Lahdenne, Heli Piiparinen

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. anne.pitkaranta@hus.fi

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|July 13, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is newly associated with facial palsy in children. This finding links HHV-6 infection to a specific neurological complication in young patients.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Facial nerve palsy is often linked to infections, primarily herpesviruses or Borrelia burgdorferi.
  • Herpesviruses are a common suspected cause of facial nerve palsy.

Observation:

  • A previously healthy 1-year, 9-month-old boy presented with left-sided facial nerve palsy.
  • The palsy developed seven days after exhibiting symptoms of exanthema subitum.

Findings:

  • The exanthema subitum was confirmed to be caused by human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6).
  • This case represents the first reported association between HHV-6 infection and facial palsy.

Implications:

  • This finding expands the known spectrum of neurological complications associated with HHV-6.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms linking HHV-6 to facial nerve palsy.

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