Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection causes varicella, after which the virus becomes latent in ganglionic neurons. In tissue culture, VZV-infected human neurons remain viable at 2 weeks, whereas fibroblasts develop cytopathology. Next-generation RNA sequencing was used to compare VZV transcriptomes in neurons and fibroblasts and identified only 12 differentially transcribed genes of the 70 an...

Herpes zoster is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which affects nerve ganglions. VZV infection may be associated with neurologic complications, which are usually observed after vesicular exanthem. Acute aseptic meningitis is a rare complication of VZV reactivation. We report the case of a previously healthy 14-year-old boy who suffered from aseptic meningitis that was attributed to r...

Varicella zoster virus reactivation often occurs in the setting of impaired immunity, which is generally present in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Therapy for variceIla zoster virus infection is well established. However, it is often been forgotten that acyclovir dosage should be adjusted to renal function. We point to the problem encountered in clinical practice when ESRD patien...

Acute varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, or chickenpox, is still perceived by many as a mild infection of childhood. However, chickenpox is increasingly common in adults and adolescents who together with immunosuppressed individuals are at a higher risk of severe infection. Antiviral therapy is available which both ameliorates symptoms and decreases the severity of chickenpox if administer...

acyclovir (9-[2-hydroxyethoxymethyl] guanine) is an acyclic nucleoside analogue of guanosine which is a potent and selective antiviral agent. acycloviris converted to the monophosphate by thymidine kinase the virus-specific form of this enzyme and is subsequently converted to the triphosphate by the host cell kinase. acyclovir triphosphate inhibits viral dna-polymerase terminating the chain and...

Herpes zoster results from reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus infection. Risk of zoster increases with age and with depressed cell mediated immunity, but relatively little is known about other factors. Case reports and case series have indicated that mechanical trauma may be a risk factor. But these studies had no control group, and physical mishaps and surgical trauma are common in ...

We describe a patient with AIDS who presented with an acute encephalitis caused by infection with varicella-zoster virus. The hemorrhagic, necrotizing encephalitis had an unusual MR appearance, with innumerable discrete, small, targetlike lesions in the right cerebral hemisphere, which were coalescent in the posterior temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. Of the several known disease patte...

VARICELLA AND ZOSTER Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the cause of two diseases, varicella (chickenpox), which is a primary infection, and zoster (shingles), a secondary infection caused by reactivation of latent VZV.1 In the United States, vancella is typically an ifiness of children under the age of 10 years; 5% to 10% of adults remain susceptible. Varicella is a systemic infection that stimul...

: Varicella, or chickenpox, is a highly contagious disease transmitted by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) has been defined as of at least 30 dB over three frequencies on audiogram within days and with an uncertain cause. Deafness caused varicella-zoster occasionally occurred in Ramsey hunter syndrome but associated chickenpox rare. We pres...

Herpes zoster (shingles) is caused by reactivation of the latent varicella zoster virus which is present due to an earlier varicella infection (chicken-pox). Herpes Zoster is a less common and endemic disease than varicella, although factors causing reactivation are still not well known, but it occurs in older and/or immunocompromised individuals. Involvement of C3, T5, L1, L2 and first divisio...