Unusual presentation of Varicella-Zoster Virus infection in paediatrics

Herpesviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that belong to the Herpesviridae family and are capable of infecting both humans and animals. A defining feature of these viruses is their ability to establish lifelong latency within host cells, with the potential to reactivate in response to triggers such as immunosuppression or physiological stress. Among the eight identified human herpesviruses, the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), also known as human herpesvirus type 3, is responsible for causing chickenpox during the initial infection and shingles on reactivation. In the case we observed, VZV manifested primarily with neurological symptoms such as headache, elevated intracranial pressure, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis and unilateral papilloedema in the absence of fever or a skin rash. Treatment with intravenous acyclovir produced a marked improvement in the clinical condition and CSF findings.