HERPETIC VESTIBULAR NEURITIS - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY

An animal model of vestibular neuritis was developed by inoculating he rpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) into the auricle of mice. Postural d eviation was observed in 5 of 99 mice at 6 to 8 days after inoculation . Following evaluation of the vestibular function, the animals were sa crificed and the vestibular nerves examined for histopathology and imm unohistochemically. All mice developed postural deviation, presented a s abnormal behaviour; they could not perform various vestibular tasks, such as gait, traversing a narrow path, climbing a rope, negative geo taxis, grasping a rod, and swimming. Degeneration of Scarpa's ganglion was observed in 4 of 5 mice that developed postural deviation, while HSV-1 antigens were found in 2 of them. No such histological findings were seen in animals with normal vestibular function.