Ramsay Hunt syndrome is characterized by varicella zoster virus infection affecting the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve. It typically presents with vesicles in the external auditory canal associated with auricular pain and peripheral facial nerve paralysis. Although vestibulocochlear nerve is frequently co-involved during the course of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, multiple lower cranial nerve ...

Ramsay Hunt syndrome associated with varicella zoster virus reactivation affecting the central nervous system is rare. We describe a 55-year-old diabetic female who presented with gait ataxia, right peripheral facial palsy, and painful vesicular lesions involving her right ear. Later, she developed dysmetria, fluctuating diplopia, and dysarthria. Varicella zoster virus was detected in the cereb...

Herpes zoster is caused by varicella zoster virus infection involving the dorsal root ganglia of spinal nerve roots. This common problem can be associated with multiple neurological abnormalities. We present a case of Herpes zoster affecting the T1 dermatome associated with ipsilateral Horner's syndrome and radicular weakness.

The Varicella Zoster virus, analpha virus can present in two distinct forms. The primary infection, chicken pox or varicella, is a contagious but usually benign illness that occurs in epidemics among the susceptible children. After the initial infection, the virus remains dormant until there is a reactivation, leading to the secondary form of disease called Herpes Zoster. Herpes Zoster (HZ) is ...

We used the recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to varicella-zoster virus to study the prevalence and titers of virus-specific antibody in a south Indian population of 171 individuals 0 to 25 years old. The antibody prevalence rate was less than 15% in individuals under 5 years of age and gradually rose to a maximum of 72% in young adults 15 to 25 years of age. The...

Reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus as herpes zoster is thought to result from waning of specific cell-mediated immunity, but little is known about its determinants in individuals with no underlying immunosuppression. We systematically reviewed studies of zoster epidemiology in adults and analysed data from a large morbidity study to identify factors that might be modulated to reduce ...

Herpes zoster is caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) from the dorsal sensory ganglia or the cranial nerve ganglia after a previous primary infection with chickenpox. It is known that pediatric zoster rarely occurs and usually not so severe when it develops, except in immunocompromised children 1) . In particular, herpes zoster in infancy is very rare but can be developed foll...

The Varicella Zoster virus persists in sensory nerve ganglion cells after chicken pox and gets reactivated to cause herpes zoster after variable periods of time as a result of waning of specific cellular immunity. Susceptible contacts of herpes zoster can develop chicken pox and very rarely herpes zoster. We report an interesting case of a father and his son who developed herpes zoster simultan...

Herpes zoster occurs in 10% to 20% of the general population as a result of reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and is generally benign. It occurs more frequently in persons with cellular immunodeficiency and older age. The association between herpes zoster and HIV was confirmed early in the course of the HIV epidemic by numerous studies. Zoster was noted to precede AIDS in high-ri...

We report the first laboratory-documented case of herpes zoster caused by the attenuated varicella zoster virus (VZV) contained in Zostavax in a 68-year-old immunocompetent adult with strong evidence of prior wild-type VZV infection. The complete genome sequence of the isolate revealed that the strain carried 15 of 42 (36%) recognized varicella vaccine-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms...