Posterior horn varicella-zoster virus myelitis

Excerpt

Sirs: The Varicella–Zoster virus (VZV) is an exclusively human herpes virus that causes varicella, becomes latent in the cranial-nerve and the dorsal-root ganglia, and frequently reactivates decades later to produce shingles (zoster) and postherpetic neuralgia. In immunocompetent elderly persons or immunocompromised patients, VZV may produce central nervous system diseases [1]. Myelitis is a relatively rare neurological complication of VZV that usually develops in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with cancer or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [1‐3]. We report a case in which radiological findings are consistent with the spread of the virus from the dorsal root ganglia to the spinal cord through the posterior horn. To the best of our knowledge, no image showing this pattern has previously been published. …