title: Herpes zoster ophthalmicus with cerebral angiitis and reduced cerebral blood flow.
abstract: Two patients with herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) who experienced a delayed contralateral hemiparesis, the so-called crossed zoster syndrome, are described. Particular emphasis is paid to the cerebral blood flow (CBF) findings studied with the Xenon-133 inhalation technique using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In a 40-year-old female with right-sided hemiparesis, angiography showed multiple segmental narrowings of the intracerebral arteries. Cerebral computer tomography (CT) scans were normal. The CBF studied 11 months after the HZO showed a generalized reduction of flow which, however, was more pronounced in the left hemisphere. On re-examination 8 months later both the mean hemispheric flow and regional CBF (rCBF) had increased to normal values. In a 66-year-old male with dysphasia and right-sided hemiparesis, cerebral CT scans demonstrated two small deep left-sided infarcts. CBF examination showed a generalized reduction of flow in the left hemisphere. The flow was slightly increased on re-examination 12 months later. These findings suggest that the Xenon-133 inhalation method represents a useful way to demonstrate the CBF pattern in this group of patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001167:Arteritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002539:Cerebral Arterial Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006563:Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014980:Xenon Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D014980:Xenon Radioisotopes