Disseminated herpes zoster infection in a patient with lymphoma

Authors: BEHİCE KURTARAN, SEMRA PAYDAŞ, ASLIHAN CANDEVİR, SÜHEYLA KÖMÜR, HASAN SALİH ZEKİ AKSU

Abstract: Immunosuppression facilitates varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation in immunocompromised patients. Atypical presentation such as disseminated disease of herpes zoster infection has been described in immunosuppressed patients. One of the best choices of therapy in herpes zoster infection is acyclovir, but long-term therapy may cause resistance to it. In this report a disseminated herpes zoster infection is described in a patient with T cell lymphoma after acyclovir/valacyclovir therapy. The infection was irresponsive to acyclovir and valacyclovir and we were unable to control the infection because it was not possible to obtain foscarnet and the patient died due to Staphylococcus epidermis sepsis.

Keywords: Acyclovir, disseminated, herpes zoster, resistance, immunosuppression, VZV

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