| Summary: | Introduction. Herpes zoster oticus is caused by varicella zoster virus(VZV), affecting 10-20% of the population. Ramsay Hunt syndrome,a complication of herpes zoster oticus, presents a reactivation of latentVZV infection in the sensory dorsal root ganglia of the facial nerve.Objective. To present three patients in whom a VZV infection causedcomplications in the course of zoster oticus.Case report. Erythematous and oedematous skin lesions with vesiclesin the right auricle and dizziness appeared in an 87-year-old woman10 days before admission to the ward. After a few days, shivering andfever (39°C) developed. During hospitalization peripheral facial paralysiswas observed. In the second patient, left-sided facial palsy was precededby acute pharyngalgia and pain of the left ear with skin hyperesthesiaand vesicles in the left external auditory canal. In the thirdpatient, the first symptoms were pain and oedema of the right ear.After a few days, vesicles in the right auricle and hard palate and rightsidedfacial palsy occurred. The systemic and topical treatment led tohealing of skin lesions. In one case, facial palsy and partial hearing losspersisted.Conclusions. In the presented cases, VZV infection was complicated byfacial paralysis and dizziness, partial hearing loss and erysipelas in onepatient. Old age, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension are prognosticfactors of severe complications and decreased chance of completerecovery.
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