Neurological Complications of Herpes Zoster – a Case Report

Czech version

Authors: R. Chlíbek ¹; J. Smetana ¹ ; V. Boštíková ¹ ; P. Kosina ²; P. Prášil ²; M. Salavec ³; P. Rejtar ⁴; P. Boštík ⁵
Authors‘ workplace: Katedra epidemiologie, Fakulta vojenského zdravotnictví Univerzity obrany, Hradec Králové ¹; Klinika infekčních nemocí LF UK a FN Hradec Králové ²; Katedra dermatovenerologie LF UK a FN Hradec Králové ³; Radiologická klinika LF UK a FN Hradec Králové ⁴; Centrum pokročilých studií, Fakulta vojenského zdravotnictví Univerzity obrany, Hradec Králové ⁵
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2011; 74/107(4): 486-489
Category: Case Report

Overview

Herpes zoster (HZ) is not a rare disease – the average annual incidence in Czech Republic only was 6,306 cases (61,3 per 100 thousand inhabitants) during the period 1990–2008. The peak incidence age group is between 60–70 years, however the risk for the disease increases steadily after 50 years of age and so does the likelihood for the development of complications.The most common complications reported in Czech Republic during the year 2008 were those affecting central nervous system (CNS), such as meningitis, encephalitis and other diseases of CNS (30, 21 and 20 cases, respectively), followed by ocular involvement (94 cases) and generalized herpes zoster (13 cases). Immunosuppression increases the risk of the development of disease, the severity of attack and the likelihood of complications. Here we present a case report of herpes zoster in a patient with several co-morbidities, who developed neurological complications.The case report contains a review of basic epidemiological and clinical characteristics of HZ, as well as common complications of this disease, and a summary of the epidemiological situation in Czech Republic.

Key words:
herpes zoster – neurological complications – varicella-zoster virus – epidemiology

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