Update on varicella zoster virus vasculopathy
1Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Current Infectious Disease Reports
|May 14, 2014
Summary
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox and shingles. Reactivation of VZV can lead to serious VZV vasculopathy, affecting cerebral arteries and causing various neurological complications.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Varicella zoster virus (VZV) establishes latency in neural ganglia post-primary infection (chickenpox).
- Declining cell-mediated immunity in elderly and immunocompromised individuals can trigger VZV reactivation, leading to herpes zoster (shingles).
- Herpes zoster can be complicated by VZV vasculopathy, involving productive infection of cerebral arteries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the expanded clinical spectrum of VZV vasculopathy.
- To highlight the diverse neurological manifestations of VZV infection beyond typical shingles.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent decades focusing on VZV vasculopathy.
- Analysis of clinical presentations and diagnostic findings.
Main Results:
- VZV vasculopathy encompasses transient ischemic attacks, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
- Expanded spectrum includes multifocal VZV vasculopathy, mimicking giant cell arteritis.
- Other complications: extracranial vasculopathy, aneurysms, arterial dissection, cranial neuropathies, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, spinal cord infarction, and peripheral thrombotic disease.
Conclusions:
- VZV vasculopathy presents with an increasingly recognized and diverse range of serious neurological complications.
- Awareness of VZV vasculopathy is crucial for timely diagnosis and management in at-risk populations.
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