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Zoster sine herpete, A clinical variant
Author(s) -
Gilden Donald H.,
Wright Roy R.,
Schneck Stuart A.,
Gwaltney Jack M.,
Mahalingam Ravi
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410350505
Subject(s) - medicine , rash , varicella zoster virus , radicular pain , cerebrospinal fluid , herpes simplex virus , dermatology , virus , disease , surgery , virology , lumbar
Two otherwise healthy immunocompetent men, ages 62 and 66 years, experienced years of radicular pain without zoster rash. An extensive search for systemic disease and malignancy was negative. Varicella‐zoster virus DNA, but not herpes simplex virus DNA, was found in the cerebrospinal fluid of the first patient 5 months after the onset of pain, and in the second patient 8 months after the onset of pain. Prolonged radicular pain without zoster rash combined with the presence of varicella‐zoster virus in the cerebrospinal fluid indicates that both men had zoster sine herpete, and strongly supports this syndrome as a clinical variant.