Varicella Zoster Virus Aseptic Meningitis: A Misleading Clinical and Laboratory Presentation: Three Cases Reports

Abstract

A septic meningitis caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation was less described in the literature, Varicella-zoster virus is a neurotropic virus that remain dormant in dorsal root ganglion after primary infection, usually manifested as chickenpox which gets reactivated in immunocompromized state presented usually with vesicular rash complicated with multi-organ affection such as central nervous system. Rarely this characteristic skin rash can be absent initially requiring high clinical suspicion for diagnosis. When no skin lesions are present, a high clinical suspicion is required to reach the diagnosis. In this report we described three clinical of varicella- zoster virus reactivation presented in atypical way in terms of clinical presentation and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.