Middle ear mucosa in Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

We report two patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, together with histopathologic findings of the middle ear mucosa near the facial canal. An attempt was made to find specific antigens of varicella zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) by an immunofluorescence method. Histopathologic examination revealed inflammation of the middle ear mucosa. Specific VZV antigens were demonstrated in the cytoplasm and nucleus of elliptically shaped cells and round cells, but no specific antigens of HSV were found. The findings suggest a pathogenetic relationship between VZV infection and inflammatory changes in the middle ear mucosa.