Abstract
Two patients with varicella-zoster virus leukoencephalitis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome are described. Neither patient had cutaneous or disseminated varicella-zoster virus infection within the last six months of life. Demyelinated lesions resembling those of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy were seen in their brains at autopsy. Numerous cells with Cowdry type A intranuclear inclusions surrounded the lesions; these cells stained positively for varicella-zoster virus with immunohistochemistry and contained herpesvirus nucleocapsids by electron microscopy. Leptomeningeal vessels accompanying the lesions displayed a zoster-induced vasculopathy in one of the two patients. Vascular and parenchymal central nervous system infections with varicella-zoster virus are rare in the absence of cutaneous lesions, and to our knowledge, the presence of both in one patient has not yet been described.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 173-177 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine |
Volume | 112 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Jan 1 1988 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Medical Laboratory Technology