72 year-old diabetic woman with herpes zoster paresis: a case report

ABSTRACT

Varicella-zoster [VZV] is an exclusively human pathogen. The primary infection typically occurs during childhood and causes varicella. As other members of the herpes viruses' family, VZV is noninfectious in its latent form but can reactivate at a later time to form intact virions in the involved sensory neurons. These virions then migrate to the skin through axons, spread from cell to cell, and penetrate the epidermis. A 72-year old woman with history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension hospitalized because of urinary retention, weakness and parestesia in right leg complicated with vesicuoulcerative lesions in sacral area with distribution to right buttock and vagina. Lumbar puncture confirmed inflammatory radiculopathy and showed aseptic meningitis. Treatment was commenced with acyclovir and prednisolone. Patient enjoyed healthy life thereafter. Motor weakness in non-cranial nerve is one of the zoster complications that known as zoster paresis. Weakness begins suddenly 2-3 weeks after rash and progress to extremities. In the present case nerve involvement was detected 3 weeks after rash