Varicella zoster virus reactivation is a rare cause of pharyngeal dysphagia with long-term sequelae persisting in most cases. A 76-year-old immunocompetent woman presented with a 4-week history of dysphagia and dysphonia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging displayed a negative finding. Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing showed a severe dysphagia leading to a percutaneous gastrostomy e...

CASE REPORT The case is reported of acute retinal necrosis with bilateral involvement due to Varicella Zoster virus in a 77 year-old man. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of aqueous humor was positive for Varicella Zoster virus (VZV). He developed a Kyrieleis' vasculitis a month after the starting treatment, when the PCR analysis was negative. DISCUSSION PCR is a quick and safe technique, with...

This study was performed to obtain information on the enzymatic background to the antiviral activity of acyclic guanosine analogs. Five acyclic guanosine analogs, the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of 9-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)guanine, 9-(4-hydroxybutyl)guanine, 9-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]guanine, and 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]guanine, were compared in enzyme kinetic experiments using ...

Ninety throat swabs from 30 healthy children who received varicella vaccine were tested for varicella zoster virus DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. Seroconversion was observed in 27 of 30 (90%) vaccinees. The positive rates were 7.4% (2/27) at one week and 0% (0/27) at four weeks after vaccination. These rates were considerably lower than those in normal children with varicella.

We evaluated a rapid, simple-to-perform assay for detecting antibodies to varicella-zoster virus by latex agglutination (LA); dilutions of test sera were added to latex particles coated with varicella-zoster virus antigen. We tested 878 serum specimens by LA and with fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen; of these, 227 were also tested by a commercially marketed enzyme-linked immunosorbent a...

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection is restricted to humans, which hinders studies of its pathogenesis in rodent models of disease. To facilitate the study of VZV skin tropism, we developed an ex vivo system using human fetal skin organ culture (SOC). VZV replication was analyzed by plaque assay, transmission electron microscopy, and histology. The yield of infectious VZV from SOC increased ...

Chicken pox is mostly a benign infection of childhood and caused by Varicella Zoster Virus which generally does not lead to any serious complication in an immunocompetent host. Severe potentially lethal complications like varicella pneumonia, encephalitis acute kidney injury are known entity adults but very rare paediatric age group. We present case Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) the form tubulointe...

The herpes zoster vaccine is made using high doses of live attenuated varicella/zoster virus. The vaccine is well tolerated and has few adverse effects: the most common one is pain at the injection site. Complications can occur mainly in persons who had prior zoster keratitis or uveitis. The vaccine can prevent this disease with low mortality but high morbidity.

Congenital varicella syndrome refers to the spectrum of fetal anomalies associated with maternal varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection during the first trimester of pregnancy. The syndrome is rare and the risk to the fetus uncertain. We describe an unusual case of congenital varicella syndrome in which hydrocephalus was the main consequence and likely represented VZV reactivation in utero.

Because of its ability to produce two clinically distinct disease entities (chickenpox and shingles), varicella zoster virus (VZV) is an unusual etiologic agent. Although in the past viral exanthems were mostly only of academic interest to the practitioner, the development of antiviral agents and the newly approved varicella (OKA) vaccine have increased the clinical significance. Also, with the...