Ramsay Hunt Syndrome: natural history

ABSTRACT

Thirty nine patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome [RHS] were seen. The spontaneous course of this syndrome was studied by analyzing its signs and symptoms. There was a nonsignificant male preponderance and a nonsignificant high peak between the age of 40 and 60 years. A satisfactory recovery was found in 56.4%, with a mean duration of recovery of 10.5 wees and 43.6% had unsatisfactory recovery with various degrees of sequelae, with a mean duration of 53.6 weeks. There was a strong correlation between the severity of the paralysis in the first two weeks and early remission and the final facial recovery function. The prognostic correlation between other clinical findings and some tests of current use and the final facial function was studied