DOI: 10.12890/2023_003945

Atypical varicella-zoster virus reactivation: a case report

Authors

  • Francesca Salvotti Department of Medicine, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
  • Simone Trapletti Department of Medicine, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
  • Giulia Chiarini Department of Medicine, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
  • Maurizio Castellano Department of Medicine, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
  • Maria Lorenza Muiesan Department of Medicine, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

f.salvotti@unibs.it

Keywords

Varicella-Zoster Virus, Zoster sine Herpete, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, encephalitis

Abstract

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) commonly causes benign skin manifestations in children; it then establishes a latent infection and may reactivate, causing herpes zoster. The most common zoster complication is postherpetic neuralgia, but complications can also occur without a rash. VZV infection may cause neurological manifestations and even vasculopathy may occur, in both primary and reactivated VZV infection. Thrombotic complications are mainly described in children, while a few case reports have described cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), deep-vein thrombosis of the lower limbs and pulmonary embolism in adults. In this article we report the case of a young woman who developed systemic thromboembolic sequelae due to a hypercoagulable state following VZV reactivation. She had deep venous lower-limb thrombosis extended to the inferior vena cava (IVC), massive pulmonary embolism and CVST. Moreover, VZV reactivation caused an acute hepatitis and clinical manifestations suggesting viral encephalitis.

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References

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Published

2023-08-11

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 9 (2023)

Categories

How to Cite

1.
Salvotti F, Trapletti S, Chiarini G, Castellano M, Muiesan ML. Atypical varicella-zoster virus reactivation: a case report. EJCRIM [Internet]. 2023 Aug. 11 [cited 2026 Nov. 3];10(9). Available from: https://ejcrim.com/index.php/ejcrim/article/view/3945

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