Varicella results from a primary infection with the varicella virus while herpes zoster is caused by a reactivation of a latent infection. Dissemination of herpes zoster is uncommon in immunocompetent individuals. Reports of disseminated herpes zoster in children are even less common than in adults. An unusual case of disseminated herpes zoster ophthalmicus in an 8-year old immunocompetent blac...

Varicella zoster (VZ) is an unusual cause of CNS angiitis, usually occurring in older patients and immunocompromised hosts. The infection most commonly presents as herpes zoster ophthalmicus with contralateral hemiplegia. Mycotic aneurysm formation associated with VZ angiitis is rare. We report two cases of VZ angiitis with mycotic aneurysm formation (both aneurysms eventually ruptured) and one...

The authors describe a 41-year-old woman with herpes zoster ophthalmicus and extensive intracranial and orbital involvement as documented by MR and pathologically. MR showed all of the lesions that led to the ophthalmoplegia and pseudotumor syndrome, the periaxial infarct of the distal optic nerve, pontine infarcts, and granulomatous angiitis of the meningeal vessels. MR is useful in both detec...

A 57-year-old female presented to the emergency department with left sided facial rash with associated pain, blurred vision and oral discomfort. Past medical history included hypertension, and remote scleroderma (untreated). There was no history of neck stiffness, ear pain, environmental exposures, trauma, or immunosuppressive medications. Her facial pain was sharp in quality and extended to he...

Jonathan Hutchinson (1865-6) was the first person to distinguish herpes zoster ophthalmicus from erysipelas, and he described 18 cases, one of which developed a third nerve palsy. Hutchinson stated that zoster never affected the cheek at all, but a few years later Head and Campbell (1900) described a case with affection of the mandibular branch; Paton (1926) reported a case with involvement of ...

Infections are rare but important causes of stroke. Among these, varicella zoster virus has been known to cause ischemic stroke. During an attack of herpes zoster ophthalmicus, it has been hypothesized that the virus replicates in the trigeminal ganglion and travels via the trigeminal nerve centrally to cause cerebral vasculopathy. Here we present a case of a 69 year-old Caucasian immunocomprom...

Acquired palsy of the lateral rectus presents with horizontal diplopia and has a broad differential. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus- (HZO) related cranial nerve palsy is a transient and self-limiting condition. Systemic antiviral treatment is administered in order to prevent sight-threatening complications. In suspected cases, zosteriform rash should be questioned. One should keep in mind that acqu...

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus can be complicated by a delayed ipsilateral cerebral angiitis which may cause infarction and a smoldering meningoencephalitis. We describe such a case treated successfully with steroids and acyclovir. It is important to consider the diagnosis of this disorder early since therapeutic intervention may prevent an otherwise high morbidity and mortality. Steroids may have ...