Peripheral facial palsy: antibody levels to Borrelia in serum and CSF

Abstract

Serum antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi antigen were determined in 71 consecutive patients with an acute peripheral facial palsy. The study was conducted for one year in a south western coastal region in Sweden. Twenty-one per cent of the patients had significantly elevated serum levels of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi antigen. CSF was examined in 13 of the sero-positive patients. In three of these (23%) Borrelia antibodies were found. Another five patients had a pathological protein and cell pattern in the CSF. No seasonal differences were observed. Four of the sero-positive patients had a long-term history of dermatological neurological manifestations compatible with the late third stage of the disease.

Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Pathology in Patients with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

“…Pathological CSF in patients with cranial nerve affections has been shown to occur frequently (16), which is also supported by ndings from a study of LB-related facial paralysis (17). Hanner et al (17) found that 62% of Bb seropositive patients with facial palsy had abnormal CSF ndings, compared to 68% in the present study of seropositive patients with SHL.…”

“…Hanner et al (17) found that 62% of Bb seropositive patients with facial palsy had abnormal CSF ndings, compared to 68% in the present study of seropositive patients with SHL. American and European studies have shown that there is a subgroup of LB patients who have localized cranial nerve dysfunction but no CSF pathology (18 -21).…”