A CASE OF CHICKENPOX ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE PERIPHERAL FACIAL NERVE PALSY

Objectives: Chickenpox is a common infectious disease usually seen in childhood. The neurological complications of varicella are encephalitis, meningitis, cerebellar ataxia and Guillane-Barre syndrome.

Methods: Varicella zoster virus related peripheral neuropathies usually occur after shingles in adult and more rarely after chickenpox in childhood. Acute peripheral facial palsy is rather rare neurological complication of chickenpox. Here we present a 7-year-old boy who suffered acute peripheral facial nerve palsy as complications of varicella zoster virus infection to emphasize the importance of facial nerve palsy in children with chickenpox.

Conclusion: Chickenpox is frequently occurred in Turkey because varicella vaccine is not included in routine vaccination programs in our country. Varicella complications represent on important morbidity for a disease that has long been considered benign and in exitable in children. The implementation of a varicella vaccine program for healthy children would be beneficial for the prevention of complications.