Abdominal muscle paralysis associated with herpes zoster

We describe a 77-year-old women with cutaneous herpes zoster in the area of the right T9-T11 dermatomes complicated by abdominal muscle paralysis. Four months after onset of paralysis, stimulation of appropriate intercostal nerves failed to evoke responses from the corresponding segments of the rectus abdominis muscle. Three months later EMG of these muscle segments revealed profuse denervation activity and spontaneous long-lasting burst of high frequency discharges. Magnetic stimulation applied transcranially and peripherally at T10 evoked responses from the left, but not from the right paralytic rectus abdominis muscle. Electric stimulation of right T10 elicited a markedly delayed, prolonged and polyphasic response in the transverse abdominis muscle and EMG revealed polyphasia and increased motor unit potential duration in muscle segments underlying herpes zoster eruption. One and a half years after onset, the paralysis of the rectus abdominis muscle was still present. A survey of the literature concerning this rare type of zoster paralysis is presented.