Question

A 55-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with a sudden and acute onset of right-sided painless complete facial paralysis, involving both the upper and the lower parts of the face. The symptoms began earlier that day and were initially accompanied by a mild ache behind the ear, which resolved. The organism most likely responsible for this condition is:

A. Borrelia burgdorferi
B. Herpes simplex virus
C. Epstein-Barr virus
D. West Nile virus
E. Varicella zoster virus

Answer 1

The sudden onset of complete facial paralysis without other accompanying symptoms such as a bulls-eye rash or flu-like symptoms in a 55-year-old woman is most likely caused by the Herpes simplex virus (HSV), known as Bell's palsy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sudden and acute onset of right-sided painless complete facial paralysis, involving both the upper and the lower parts of the face in a 55-year-old woman, suggests a condition known as Bell's palsy. A variety of factors can cause Bell's palsy, including infections. The most common infectious cause of this condition is the Herpes simplex virus (HSV), making option B the correct answer. While Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent for Lyme disease, which can cause facial palsy, it typically presents with other symptoms like a distinctive bulls-eye rash, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and possibly meningitis, which are not mentioned in the case of the woman. Therefore, the organism most likely responsible for this woman's acute facial paralysis is Herpes simplex virus.