Peter Berdal

The Role of Viral Infection in Acute Peripheral Facial Palsy

Thirty-three patients with acute non-traumatic peripheral facial palsy were studied. In one patient, varicella-zoster virus was isolated from CSF. Antibody against the same virus was present in CSF, and rising titre was demonstrated in serum. In two cases, herpes virus hominis was isolated from the nasopharynx. CF-antibody tests indicated recent viral infection in 7 other cases. One additional patient had clinical signs of herpes zoster oticus. In most of these 11 patients, but also in the majority of the remaining 22 patients, an acute phase reaction was present, and serum and CSF immunoglobulins were increased. Thus, an active or recent infection (probably viral) seemed to precede or coincide with the facial palsy in most cases in both groups.

Immunodeficiency syndromes with otorhinolaryngological manifestations.

Among patients with recurrent, protracted or chronic infections of the respiratory tract involving the middle ear, 18 were found to have immunodeficiencies. In 10 of the patients, deficiency of immunoglobulins belonging to the IgG, IgA and IgM classes was found. Seven patients had an isolated IgA deficiency. One patient had a combined immunodeficiency with defects of the T-cell system and the B-cell system. One patient had an isolated T-cell deficiency.

Cylindromas of the respiratory tract, the upper part of the digestive tract and adjoining organs.

For some time we have had the opportunity of observing several cases of cylindromas presenting great therapeutical difficulties. During close collaboration between surgeon and pathologist we have observed that cylindromas have a tendency to infiltration which by far exceeds what we had previously imagined.

Morbus Menière — Cerebral Atrophy: A Preliminary Report

At Rikshospitalet in Oslo, 20 randomly selected patients with a classical picture of Menieres disease have been investigated. The results indicate that the tissue damage and functional disturbances giving rise to Menieres disease are not limited to the labyrinth alone, but that the central nervous system is also the seat of pathologic changes. Further investigations are being carried out.