Acute meningoencephalomyelitis due to varicella-zoster virus in an AIDS patient: report of a case and review of the literature.
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) meningoencephalomyelitis is a rare but severe neurological complication of VZV reactivation in immunocompromised patients. We report the case of an HIV-infected individual who developed an acute and severe meningoencephalomyelitis accompanied by a disseminated cutaneous eruption due to VZV. The presence of VZV DNA in cerebrospinal fluid was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The patient started undergoing an intravenous acyclovir therapy with a mild recovery of neurological manifestations. Varicella-zoster virus should be included as a cause of acute meningoencephalomyelitis in patients with AIDS. Early diagnosis followed by specific therapy should modify the rapid and fulminant course for this kind of patients.
Divisão de HIV/AIDS, Hospital de Doenças Infecciosas F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina. marcelocorti@fibertel.com.ar
Marcelo
M
Corti
Norberto
N
Trione
María Florencia
MF
Villafañe
Daniel
D
Risso
Claudio
C
Yampolsky
Lilia
L
Mamanna
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D000208:Acute Disease; D020804:Encephalitis, Varicella Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult