Meningoencephalitis-complicating herpes zoster ophthalmicus infection

Abstract

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus is a known complication of herpes zoster and the most common manifestation of cranial zoster, accounting for a significant number of zoster cases. An uncommon but serious complication of herpes zoster ophthalmicus is zoster meningoencephalitis. The exact incidence of herpes zoster meningoencephalitis is not known; in 1 series, 5.5% of patients who initially presented with ophthalmic zoster had neurological complications. Here we report a case of herpes zoster meningoencephalitis in a patient with herpes zoster ophthalmicus.