Herpes zoster encephalitis: isolation of virus from cerebrospinal fluid

Two elderly female patients developed symptoms and signs of encephalitis, coincident with a cutaneous zoster eruption ("shingles"). One recovered slowly with mild residual motor dysfunction, and the other died. Varicella-zoster virus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of the two patients. Review of the literature revealed only eight previously described patients in whom herpes zoster virus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid.