- 著者
-
山下 裕之
上田 洋
高橋 裕子
三森 明夫
- 出版者
- 社団法人 日本感染症学会
- 雑誌
- 感染症学雑誌 (ISSN:03875911)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.86, no.3, pp.306-309, 2012-05-20 (Released:2013-04-12)
- 参考文献数
- 17
- 被引用文献数
-
2
5
1
The patient was a 74-year old male who presented with a skin rash, cough, and impaired consciousness. Adiffuse, systemic, dark red rash was observed and he was admitted. Varicella infection was diagnosed based on the varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-IgM levels. The extremely high VZV- IgG levels observed were unlikely to be present inaninitial infection and the infection was thought to be a reoccurrence. Diffuse nodular shadows measuring ≤5mm indiameter were observed on chest computed tomography (CT) ; this was consistent with the typical imaging findings of varicella pneumonia. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was positive for CSF VZV-IgM antibody, CSF VZV-PCR, and CSF antibody titer index. A diagnosisofvaricella meningitis was made. When both respiratory and neurological symptoms are observed inpatients with varicella infection, it is necessary to consider a combined diagnosis of varicella pneumonia and varicella meningitis/encephalitis and perform chest imaging and a CSF examination. Repeated asymptomaticre-infection isconsidered necessary in order to maintaina life long immunity to varicella ; however, the opportunities for asymptomaticre-infection are decreasing with the declining birth rate and trend toward small families. As a result, reoccurrences of varicella infection in the elderly are expected to increase with rapidlyincreasing longevity.