Myelitis due to varicella-zoster virus in two patients with AIDS: successful treatment with acyclovir. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Myelitis due to varicella-zoster virus in two patients with AIDS: successful treatment with acyclovir.

Clin Infect Dis. 1996 Jan;22(1):138-40. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96422363
Lionnet F; Pulik M; Genet P; Petitdidier C; Davous P; Lebon P; Rozenberg F; Department of Hematology, Hopital d'Argenteuil, France.

Abstract: Only a few cases of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) myelitis have been described, and nearly all have been diagnosed post-mortem. There have been no reports in the literature of successful treatment of VZV myelitis with antiviral medications. We report on two patients with AIDS who had acute severe myelitis accompanied by herpes zoster. The presence of VZV DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was documented by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Early treatment with acyclovir was followed by a slow but complete recovery after a phase of initial aggravation. After a follow-up of > 1 year, the two patients remained asymptomatic. We conclude that (1) VZV should be considered a curable cause of myelitis in patients with AIDS, (2) PCR assay of CSF will assist in early diagnosis, and (3) early treatment with acyclovir should aid in recovery.
Keywords: *Acyclovir/THERAPEUTIC USE *Antiviral Agents/THERAPEUTIC USE *AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/DRUG THERAPY *Herpesviridae Infections/DRUG THERAPY *Herpesvirus 3, Human/GENETICS *Herpesvirus 3, Human/ISOLATION & PURIF *Myelitis/DRUG THERAPY *Myelitis/VIROLOGYKWDacyclovir/therapeuticuseKWDantiviralagents/therapeuticuseKWDaids-relatedopportunisticinfections/drugtherapyKWDherpesviridaeinfections/drugtherapyKWDherpesvirus3,human/geneticsKWDherpesvirus3,human/isolation&purifKWDmyelitis/drugtherapyKWDmyelitis/virology
970130
M9711064

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