MELKERSSON'S SYNDROME: Report of Five Cases, with Special Reference to the Pathologic Observations

Observations on Melkersson’s syndrome

“…There is reason to believe that the incidence of this entity is not less here than in those European countries where there has been a recorded interest in it for a long time (Melkersson, 1928;Kettel, 1947;Ekbom, 1950;Schuppner, 1956). Awareness of its existence and correlation of the features mentioned will increase the incidence of observation, which will be enhanced if all facial pareses, particularly in the younger age-groups, are considered as potential examples of the syndrome, and only designated as 'Bell's palsy' after inspection of the tongue, and careful investigation of the personal history and that of the siblings.…”

“…As it descends the aqueduct it increases in thickness and strength which reaches a maximum in density and tough-ness as it approaches the stylomastoid foramen. When the Fallopian canal is explored for compression and the facial sheath slit, the nerve laterally herniates through the incision (Ballance & Duel, 1932;Morris, 1938;Cawthorne, 1951;Kettel, 1947;Sullivan & Smith, 1950), and is seen to be markedly congested and swollen to twice its normal size (Hall, 1951). This process is particularly marked in the lower third of the canal.…”

“…It would appear that the role of the Fallopian canal in facial paralysis is a secondary mechanical one, superimposing adverse pressure effects with consequent ischaemia upon an already existing neurological injury, only when the nerve swells to a size that can no longer be accommodated comfortably in such a restricted and unresilient channel. The bone around the stylomastoid foramen, and that of the mastoid itself, share in the pathological changes, and at operation softening is seen in this area, which particularly affects the tip of the mastoid process and its air cells (Kettel, 1947;Flodgren, 1946;Hall, 1951). This softening is likely to be a bony necrosis due to ischaemia, since a stem vessel from the stylomastoid artery enters the foramen, and branches from it pass through the posterior wall to supply the air cells of the mastoid process.…”

Síndrome de Melkersson-Rosenthal: relato de 4 casos e revisão da literatura

“…Na biópsia dos lábios o achado mais comum é o de edema crônico, difuso, com hipertrofia das fibras musculares, dilatação dos vasos sangüíneos 16 » 23 e linfáticos 16 . São referidos também achados semelhantes à dermatomiosite 31 The four cases presented the lingua plicata and in two of them familiar antecedents were present.…”

Ungewöhnliche neurologische Krankheitserscheinungen beim Melkersson-Rosenthal-Syndrom

“…Isolierte und kom bin ierte H irnnervenstörungen sind w iederholt beschrieben w o rd e n : E inseitige H yp-oder Anosm ie, zeitweiliges D oppeltsehen, vor allem A ffektionen des N .trigem inus: N euralgische Schm erzen, P arästh esien, H yperalgesie oder H ypästhesie [2,8,9]. Sie finden sich nach der Z usam m enstellung von Hornstein und Schuermann [8] bei etw a 10% aller P a tie n te n m it MRS. Wie häufig der N .sta to acu sticu s betroffen ist, lä ß t sich nach der L ite ra tu r n ich t entscheiden.…”