Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Stroke after varicella vaccination.

Elaine Wirrell1, Michael D Hill, Taj Jadavji

  • 1Division of Pediatric Neurology, Alberta Children's Hospital, and the University of Calgary, Ontario, Canada. wirrell@calgaryhealthregion.ca

The Journal of Pediatrics
|December 8, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Varicella vaccination may rarely cause acute hemiparesis in children due to varicella angiopathy. Underlying conditions like patent foramen ovale and anemia might increase this risk.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pediatric epilepsy surgery: Global survey of invasive explorations.

Epilepsia·2026
Same author

Pediatric epilepsy surgery: Global survey of referral and presurgical evaluation practices.

Epilepsia·2026
Same author

Implementation strategies for early hand therapy for young children with cerebral palsy.

Developmental medicine and child neurology·2026
Same author

Creating an engaging brain computer interface, electrical stimulation therapy for children with hemiparesis: a pilot study.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Practical consensus recommendations for polytherapy involving stiripentol in Dravet syndrome: A nominal group approach.

Epilepsia open·2026
Same author

Public participation in child health: the Healthy Infants and Children Clinical Research Program (HICCUP).

Pediatric research·2026

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Varicella vaccination is a common pediatric immunization.
  • Acute hemiparesis is a rare but serious neurological complication.

Observation:

  • Two children developed acute hemiparesis weeks after varicella vaccination.
  • Neurological imaging revealed unilateral basal ganglia and internal capsule infarction.

Findings:

  • The infarction pattern suggests varicella angiopathy, a known complication.
  • Both children had a small patent foramen ovale (PFO).
  • One child had severe iron-deficiency anemia, a potential contributing factor.

Implications:

  • This case series highlights a potential link between varicella vaccination and stroke in children.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Patent foramen ovale and anemia may be risk factors for vaccine-associated neurological events.
  • Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and incidence of this rare adverse effect.