Herpes Simplex Virus and Varicella Zoster Virus Infections in Cancer Patients.

ABSTRACT: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) are alpha herpesviruses that establish life-long latent infection in neuronal ganglia after primary infection. Periodic reactivation of these viruses results in recurrent infections that can have significant impact on patients' quality of life. HSV commonly causes oral and genital mucocutaneous infections whereas VZV is responsible for varicella/chickenpox and herpes zoster/shingles, but cancer patients are at particularly higher risk of complications including disseminated and visceral infections due to impaired cell-mediated immunity. While diagnosis of more common HSV and/or VZV infections is frequently clinically based, immunocompromised hosts may have atypical skin presentation or visceral involvement. Thus, diagnostic confir

SUBMITTER: Tayyar R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9961783 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature