A Radiodiagnostic Insight: Ramsay Hunt Syndrome

Uncommon case scenarios often present diagnostic challenges even to the medical fraternity at the primary and at times in the secondary healthcare facilities. Dental fraternity members may face circumstances where the patient seeks relief, moving up for multiple consultations for the same condition when their health does not improve from the initial state of disease presentation. One such patient presented with Herpes zoster oticus along with super-added bacterial infection, previously treated with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Aceclofenac) in a dental clinic for dental pain. Subsequently, the patient developed right-sided facial swelling and sought care in another multispecialty hospital, after 5 days of previous therapy from the dental clinic, where it was diagnosed to be a possible adverse drug reaction resultant from the usage of aceclofenac for dental pain. Later, she developed vesicles over her face and ear and visited our institute for another opinion. We herewith present a case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome with cranial polyneuropathy involving both the geniculate and the trigeminal ganglion associated with chronic suppurative otitis media, which prompted an early diagnosis and a better patient prognosis.