Varicella Zoster Meningitis Preceeded by Thrombophlebitis in a Patient with Hodgkin's Disease

Abstract

Varicella zoster (V-Z) infections are common among patients with hematological malignancies, particularly Hodgkin's diease (HD). The common denominator in both HD and V-Z infections is immunosuppression. Most of V-Z infections occur in patients with HD during the remission period, who have mixed cellularity sub-type. with stage III disease and who have received combined chemo-radiation therapy. Involvement of the control nervous system usually manifests as post-herpetic neuralgia or encephalitis. Angiitis has also been found in association with V-Z infections. The authors describe a case of HD who developed V-Z meningitis preceeded by superficial thrombophlebitis of upper extremities during the period of active chemotherapy.

Key Words:

• Varicella Zoster virus
• meningitis
• thrombophlebitus
• Hodgkin's disese
• immunosuppression
• meningoencephalitis
• protein S
• antiphospholipid antibodies
• cerebrospinal fluid