Acute childhood hemiplegia associated with chickenpox

Although primary varicella-associated central nervous system complications and herpes zoster ophthalmicus with delayed hemiplegia are well known, and chickenpox is a common infection, cerebral vasculopathy associated with chickenpox has only been described recently. We report the case of an 18-month-old girl who developed a right hemiplegia 10 days after the onset of a primary varicella infection. She has the shortest latent interval in the literature. Cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggest an infarction involving the left putamen and internal capsule. Magnetic resonance angiography is normal. Possible causes of acute infantile hemiplegia are excluded. Neurologic signs gradually improve without any specific treatment. A review of the literature is also presented.