Varicella Zoster Infection: A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain Mimicking Acute Abdomen

Olmez, Deniz; Boz, Alper; Erkan, Nazif

doi:10.4021/jocmr2009.09.1259

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The pain caused by herpes zoster is often described with vague presentations such as burning, stabbing, itching, or aching. Misdiagnosis, in the absence of cutaneous findings, can lead to costly consultations with invasive interventions and unfortunate delays in treatment [4]. However, as depicted in our case, the differential should remain high in undifferentiated abdominal pain.…”

Section: Clinical Features and Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 76%

Imposter Zoster: An Atypical Case of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection

Dhaliwal,

Mirza,

Vincent Coralde

et al. 2023

Cureus

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In this report, we describe a case involving an 80-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with an acute onset of left upper quadrant abdominal pain. The chief complaint misled us down multiple pathways of considering ischemic bowel disease, peptic ulcer disease, and small bowel obstruction. As a result, this led to costly and invasive diagnostic studies. However, the actual cause eventually became apparent -a cutaneous varicella-zoster virus infection.This case underscores the significance of maintaining a comprehensive list of potential diagnoses, particularly in elderly adults who commonly present atypically and often face difficulty expressing their symptoms. It also underlines the diagnostic challenges associated with identifying shingles without cutaneous findings. Early detection is crucial in preventing unnecessary tests, minimizing costs, and avoiding treatment delays. Furthermore, the case is a powerful example of the importance of vaccination, which has been proven to be 68-97% effective in preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia, depending on the individual's immune function.

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Section: Clinical Features and Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 76%

Imposter Zoster: An Atypical Case of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection

Dhaliwal,

Mirza,

Vincent Coralde

et al. 2023

Cureus

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“…Shingles, which is a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, can present with upper abdominal pain, if the affected dermatomes overly the upper abdomen. The challenge of this condition is that pain precedes the rash, and thus, in the early stages, the diagnosis of shingles can be overlooked (Olmez et al., 2009).…”

Section: Non-abdominal Causesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Upper abdominal pain

Babakhanlou

2018

InnovAiT: Education and inspiration for general practice

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The liver is the largest abdominal organ. Its functions include the metabolism of proteins, fat, carbohydrates and waste products, bile synthesis, and the formation of clotting factors and plasma proteins (Giannini et al., 2005). Disorders of the liver can be classified as infectious and non-infectious. The primary pathogens of infective hepatitis include hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis D virus, hepatitis E virus, and parasites.

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“…Although they are famous for resulting vesicles in skin, the clinical manifestations which involve other areas than cutaneous area are more concerned. Especially in visceral organs and central nervous system (CNS) involvement, the suspicion of the infection is difficult, let alone the diagnosis, because symptoms and signs are ambiguous [ 1 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Herpes Simplex and Varicella-Zoster Virus in Clinical Specimens by Multiplex Real-Time PCR and Melting Curve Analysis

Hong

Lim

Hwang

et al. 2014

BioMed Research International

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Herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are common agents resulting in various forms of clinical manifestation from skin vesicle to disseminated viral infection. The aim of the present study was to develop a real-time PCR and melting curve analysis which detect and differentiate HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV, to compare with PCR-RFLP using clinical specimens, and to introduce the 4-year experience in the clinical laboratory. Three pairs of primers for HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV were designed. Primers for human endogenous retrovirus-3 (HERV-3), an internal control, were adopted. A hundred selected specimens and many clinical specimens were tested for methods comparison and assay validation. Increased sensitivity and specificity were obtained from real-time PCR. In review of results of clinical specimens submitted to clinical laboratory, a total of 46 of 3,513 specimens were positive in cerebrospinal fluids, blood, skin vesicles, genital swabs, aqueous humor, and ear discharge. Thus, this method could be a rapid and accurate alternative to virus culture and other molecular tests for detection and typing of HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV.

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Varicella Zoster Infection: A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain Mimicking Acute Abdomen

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

Imposter Zoster: An Atypical Case of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection

Imposter Zoster: An Atypical Case of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection

Upper abdominal pain

Detection of Herpes Simplex and Varicella-Zoster Virus in Clinical Specimens by Multiplex Real-Time PCR and Melting Curve Analysis

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