Ultrasonography for the diagnosis of lyme disease in cases of acute facial paralysis

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Abstract
Ultrasonography of the parotid gland was introduced in 1989 as part of the diagnostic protocol of every patient treated in our clinics with acute facial paralysis. Ten of 50 patients so tested were found to have unilateral nonpalpable enlarged lymph nodes in the caudal portion of the parotid gland around the stylomastoid foramen. All 10 patients were eventually diagnosed as having Lyme disease. It is suggested that in patients with acute facial paralysis, ultrasonography is an inexpensive tool to improve diagnosis of Lyme disease and may have a more useful purpose in monitoring therapy.