[Herpes zoster oticus-associated jugular foramen syndrome].

We report a patient with herpes zoster oticus who presented with acute jugular foramen syndrome, and we present the review of 9 similar cases reported previously. Jugular foramen syndrome associated with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection is characterized by acute-onset dysphagia and dysphonia, usually accompanied or preceded by cranial, cervical, or pharyngeal pain. Herpetic eruptions on the skin or the mucosal surface may not occur, occur late after onset, or go undetected. Magnetic resonance imaging may reveal contrast enhancement around the jugular foramen, which implying inflammation of the glossopharyngeal or the vagal nerve ganglia, and its extension to the spinal root of the accessory nerve through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The presence of VZV-DNA or VZV antibody in the CSF should be tested for early diagnosis and initiation of anti-viral treatment.