Varicella-Zoster Disease of the Central Nervous System in Immunocompetent Children: Case Series and a Scoping Review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) is characterized by its ability to enter a dormant state within the body. When the wild or vaccine virus reactivates, it can lead to herpes zoster (HZ), which infrequently manifests as a neuroinfection.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical manifestations and outcomes associated with VZV reactivation in the CNS in immunocompetent children.

Methods

We searched medical databases for case reports using the keywords "zoster", "meningitis", "encephalitis", and "immunocompetent". The inclusion criteria were age below 18 years, any gender, race, and ethnicity, no features or history of immunodeficiency, and confirmation of VZV reactivation through the detection of VZV DNA in the CSF. Patients were categorized into

SUBMITTER: Lewandowski D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11435507 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature