Mumps, Cervical Zoster, and Facial Paralysis: Coincidence or Association?

Abstract

The association of mumps with peripheral facial paralysis has been suggested, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. An 8-year-old girl simultaneously developed left peripheral facial paralysis, ipsilateral cervical herpes zoster, and bilateral mumps sialadenitis. Elevated anti-mumps and anti-varicella zoster virus IgM antibodies in serological testing indicated recent infection of mumps and reactivation of VZV. Molecular studies have provided mounting evidence that the mumps virus dysregulates the host's immune system and enables the virus to proliferate in the infected host cells. This dysregulation of the immune system by mumps virus may have occurred in our patient, enabling the latent VZV infection to reactivate.

Sialadenitis as chickenpox complication in a 6-year-old girl

“…An 8-year-old girl with cervical shingles, paralysis of the facial nerve and oedema of the right submandibular region was also described. However, not only IgM antibodies against VZV, but also against mumps virus were found in the child [ 12 ]. If the ultrasound image in our patient had only shown inflammation of the left submandibular gland, it could have been be assumed that it was an inflammatory reaction related to a bacterial infection in close anatomical area.…”