Herpes zoster oticus: diagnosis and management

Herpes zoster oticus (Ramsay Hunt syndrome) is recognized as a polycranial neuritis caused by the DNA virus Herpes zoster and characterized by damage to sensory and motor nerves, including the audio-vestibular apparatus. Common presenting symptoms include cutaneous auricular vesicles, severe otalgia, inflammation of the pinna, and occasionally unilateral sudden facial paralysis. This article reviews the medical management of this disease, including the efficacy of antibiotics, corticosteroids, and acyclovir, along with the role of surgical decompression of the facial nerve.