Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a serious condition that affects the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve and is associated with ear pain, facial paralysis, and the formation of vesicles in the external auditory canal. Patients can also lose their sense of taste in the anterior two thirds of the tongue. Alport’s syndrome is a hereditary nephritis associated with sensorineural hearing loss. Tinnitus and cellulitis can occur along with herpes zoster infection but are not major otologic complications.
