Varicella-zoster virus infections of the central nervous system – prognosis, diagnostics and treatment

Abstract Both varicella and herpes zoster that are caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), are associated with central nervous system disease. Since the introduction of polymerase chain reaction, the opportunity to detect the virus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has improved dramatically. As a result VZV is diagnosed as one of the most common viruses causing CNS disease and it has become evident that this disease includes a wide spectrum of different CNS manifestations. The most evaluated CNS manifestations are encephalitis which is associated with both varicella and herpes zoster and, cerebellitis which occurs predominantly in children with varicella. Other manifestations have been less widely investigated. The incidence of cerebrovascular disease caused by VZV has been only scarcely studied and, in addition, some data indicate that vasculitis might also be involved in other VZV CNS manifestations such as herpes zoster-associated encephalitis. For this reason, VZV CNS infection must be suspected in several CNS