A Case of Herpes Zoster Myelitis

ABSTRACT

Herpes zoster myelitis is quite rare and it's MRI findings have not been reported. We report a patient who developed a progressive myelopathy after a characteristic herpes zoster skin lesions involving right C3 and C4 dermatomes. The lesions were recognizable in T1-weighted images of MRI as hypointense areas in the central portion of the long segment of the spinal cord, which became more prominent in T2-weighted image as increased signal intensities. In this patient computed tomographic metrizamide myelography (CTMM) showed no detectable intra or extramedullary lesion except a slight bulging of the cervical cord.