acyclovir and Brain-Infarction

Varicella zoster vasculopathy is a rare complication of chicken pox. Varicella cerebellitis, a post or para-infectious condition, is a common sequelae of chicken pox. Varicella angiopathy presents as acute hemiparesis, aphasia, hemianaesthesia or other focal neurologic or retinal deficits associated with mononuclear pleocytosis and VZV specific antibodies in CSF. Varicella angiopathy affecting the posterior circulation is very rare. We report a 15 yr old boy with progressive neurologic deficits over a month following a chicken pox 3 months prior to the onset of symptoms. On investigation he had infarcts both in the anterior and posterior circulation territories in CT and MRI with mononuclear pleocytosis in CSF elevated IgG and IgM in CSF. He was treated with intravenous acyclovir and corticosteroids.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Brain Infarction; Chickenpox; Herpesvirus 3, Human; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Leukocytosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome