A little-known relationship between immune recovery syndrome and herpes zoster

Following anti-retroviral therapy (ART) or highly active antiretroviral therapy, there is an increased response to latent infections such as herpes zoster, which may lead to their reactivation. This is a result of improved immunity brought about by ART, also termed immune recovery syndrome. A 75-year-old male patient arrived at our institute with widespread vesicles and scabs on the right half of his face and oral cavity, suggesting the involvement of the trigeminal nerve. The patient had a history of being on ART two months earlier and a history of tooth extraction eight days prior to his arrival at our institute. The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive cases amongst herpes zoster cases is high, and these patients become susceptible to infections following ART. Therefore, regardless of the presence of risk factors, every herpes zoster patient should be tested for HIV infection, and high anti-retroviral therapy should be commenced/reinstituted as soon as possible. In addition, the treating physician should maintain a high level of vigilance for the patient during the first few months of ART, the peak incidence of immune recovery inflammatory disease.

Infraorbital nerve transpositioning into orbital floor: a modified technique to minimize nerve injury following zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures

OBJECTIVES: Transpositioning of the inferior alveolar nerve to prevent injury in lower jaw has been advocated for orthognathic, pre-prosthetic and for implant placement procedures. However, the concept of infra-orbital nerve repositioning in cases of mid-face fractures remains unexplored. The infraorbital nerve may be involved in trauma to the zygomatic complex which often results in sensory disturbance of the area innervated by it. Ten patients with infraorbital nerve entrapment were treated in similar way at our maxillofacial surgery centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this article we are reporting three cases of zygomatico-maxillary complex fracture in which intra-operative repositioning of infra-orbital nerve into the orbital floor was done. This was done to release the nerve from fractured segments and to reduce the postoperative neural complications, to gain better access to fracture site and ease in plate fixation. This procedure also decompresses the nerve which releases it off the soft tissue entrapment caused due to trauma and the organized clot at the fractured site. RESULTS: There was no evidence of sensory disturbance during their three month follow-up in any of the patient. CONCLUSION: Infraorbital nerve transposition is very effective in preventing paresthesia in patients which fracture line involving the infraorbital nerve.