Diaphragmatic Paralysis Following Cervical Herpes Zoster – A Rarely Recognized Association

An 83-year-old woman was found to have a paralyzed hemidiaphragm less than three weeks after developing cervical herpes zoster. The diaphragm was radiographically normal the day before the skin rash appeared. The relatively short time frame and lack of evidence to indicate other etiologies suggests herpes zoster as the likely cause of the paralysis. Diaphragmatic paralysis following cervical herpes zoster is probably underrecognized and the association between the two conditions can be easily missed, especially if the interval between their detection is long