varicella myocarditis

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a viral infection that causes chickenpox and shingles. Although it is usually self-limiting, it can lead to severe complications, especially in pediatric and immunocompromised patients. VZV was first discovered as a cause of myocarditis in 1953. In this review article, we aim to investigate the early clinical diagnosis of myocarditis in VZV infections and the efficacy of the VZV vaccine in preventing myocarditis. The literature search was done using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Sci-Hub databases...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection can follow a virulent course, leading to possible infection-related mortality in immunocompromised hosts. Visceral disseminated VZV infection is a rare disease with a high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. We present a case of acute liver failure and acute myocarditis due to visceral disseminated VZV infection in an immunocompromised patient who had recently received kidney transplantation and who subsequently showed dramatic improvement after treatment with intravenous acyclovir and intravenous immunoglobulin...

We report two representative cases of complicated varicella in immunocompetent children highlighting the significant vaccine preventable varicella burden in the Indian population. A robust surveillance programme followed by incorporation of varicella vaccine in routine immunization would be the way forward to mitigate this illness.

Myocarditis is a serious complication of varicella zoster virus infection. A 15 year-old boy was admitted to the Emergency Department for chest pain, tachycardia and hypotension. An electrocardiogram showed sinus tachyicardia. Cardiac biomarkers were elevated and echocardiography revealed left ventricular apical, inferolateral, septal hypokinesis, and mitral regurgitation. Varicella zoster virus serum immunoglobulin M antibody was positive. The patient was discharged without any sequelae.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) can produce painful, cutaneous lesions in human beings. Reactivation of this neurotropic virus leads to herpes zoster or shingles: a painful, unilateral, vesicular eruption in a restricted dermatomal distribution. Rarely, reactivation of this virus can lead to cardiac complications, such as myocarditis and even conduction abnormalities. In this case report, we present a patient with a cardiac complication post VZV reactivation and address an unusual question and concern resulting from latent VZV presentation in adults...

A 2-month-old girl with normal development and no previous physical illnesses was resuscitated having been found lifeless on her back at home. On admission to Paediatric Intensive Care, she had severe metabolic disturbance, associated with an extremely troubling neurological signs. She died 2 hours later. A full body CT scan did not reveal injury and her parents declined an autopsy. Peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were sterile. However, a broad-range PCR coupled with electrospray-ionisation mass spectrometry onto the PLEX-ID automat of peripheral blood revealed the presence of varicella zoster virus...

Background: The etiology of myocarditis in children has not yet been completely elucidated. Objective: Medical records of eight pediatric patients diagnosed with acute myocarditis within a 41-day period in a small-town hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Methods: We examined antibody titers of adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus, varicella-zoster virus and cytomegalovirus in peripheral blood...

The varicella zoster virus (VZV) belongs to cardiotropic viruses, although the frequency of cardiac complications during VZV infection is low. Diagnosis of myocarditis or myopericarditis is rare during varicella - primary infection of VZV and sporadic in zoster - reactivation of latent VZV. Only few such cases have been described. The authors present a case of a 23-year-old male in whom clinical symptoms of myopericarditis developed a week after diagnosis of zoster that was localized in the left-upper part of the thorax...

A 12-year-old male child with Down syndrome, who had recovered from congenital heart disease, succumbed to severe varicella myocarditis. His clinical presentation at admission mimicked acute coronary syndrome. Analysis of this case throws insight into several aspects of varicella myocarditis.

Chickenpox is a common childhood infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Complications are rare. We report on a 15-year-old boy who developed myocarditis during a varicella-zoster infection. The patient presented with severe chest pain, examinations revealed significant ST-elevations in the electrocardiogram and elevated troponin T levels up to 690 ng/l. Echocardiography showed decreased left ventricular contractility without coinciding pericarditis. He remained haemodynamically stable on analgesics and aciclovir and was discharged nine days later with normalized echocardiography and troponin T levels...

A 23-year-old male was admitted with chest pain. The electrocardiogram showed ST elevation in leads DI, aVL, V2-V6. Troponin T was 1.1ng/mL. Left ventricular systolic function was globally reduced (ejection fraction 45%). The patient was treated with thrombolytic. Twenty-four hours after admission pruriginous vesicles with a clear content and surrounded by a pink halo appeared on his face, head and torso, suggesting varicella-zoster infection. This case illustrates the difficulties of diagnosis in acute myocarditis...

UNLABELLED: Aim of the study was to elucidate nosological nature of "idiopathic" arrhythmias by means of right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and to assess effect of etiotropic and pathogenetic treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included into this study 19 patients (mean age 42.6 +/-11.3 years, 9 women) with atrial fibrillation (AF, n = 16), supraventricular (n = 10) and ventricular (n = 4) extrasystoles (SVE and VE), supraventricular (n = 2) and ventricular (n = 1) tachycardia (SVT and VT), left bundle branch block (LBBB, n = 2), atrioventricular block (n = 2) without structural changes of the heart...

We present dramatic case of a 3 year-old boy who lost consciousness three weeks post Varicella Zoster virus infection. Cerebral edema was diagnosed with severe respiratory problems. Electrocardiogram showed transient but giant ST segment elevation, possibly secondary to brain damage.

Among unvaccinated populations, primary varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection results in a minor childhood illness for the majority of individuals. Mortality is rare, and fatalities associated with cardiac complications are exceptional. In a population where routine VZV vaccination is not practised, we report a death in a previously healthy child secondary to VZV myocarditis. A literature review of cardiac-related VZV mortality in childhood is included. This identified a further 13 cases where death was associated with or attributable to, direct involvement of the myocardium or conducting system with what is frequently considered a benign childhood illness...

Varicella (chickenpox), a common childhood infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, is self-limiting and usually benign. Although atypical manifestations of the virus are occasionally seen, it rarely presents with cardiovascular sequelae. Cardiovascular complications of varicella can include pericarditis, myocarditis, or endocarditis. Herein, we report the case of a 17-year-old boy who had varicella infection and severe chest pain. Examination revealed atypical electrocardiographic findings of pericarditis and remarkably elevated cardiac biomarker levels: peak cardiac troponin I, 37...

Varicella is a common and mild disease in healthy children. However, when patients are in immunocompromised conditions, such as receiving chemotherapy for cancer treatment, they are highly vulnerable and it can even prove lethal. Herein, we report a 14-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who was receiving chemotherapy for induction with vincristine, idarubicin, L-asparaginase, and prednisolone, presented with typical varicella skin lesions and varicella-zoster virus was detected in his serum by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)...

A young man presented to the emergency department with ventricular tachyarrhythmia later attributed to varicella zoster myocarditis. Myocarditis has an unpredictable clinical sequelae, making it a difficult condition to diagnose and manage in the emergency setting. The inconsistent clinical presentations, risks and management are demonstrated through a review of the literature.

Acute myopericarditis is a major cause of acquired heart disease worldwide in pediatric patients. Various viruses have been reported as the etiology, of which varicella zoster virus was first reported in 1953. However, since nationwide administration of the varicella vaccine, reports of varicella-associated myopericaridits have become sporadic. We report a case of varicella myopericarditis with an initial manifestation of chest pain, tachycardia, and hypotension. Typical skin vesicles developed 2 days after these symptoms, which confirmed the diagnosis...

More than 20 viruses have been reported to cause myopericarditis, a rare but potentially dangerous complication. To our best knowledge only a few dozen cases of myopericarditis caused by varicella zoster virus have been reported, most frequently in children, seldom in immunocompetent adults. We report on a case of a myopericarditis caused by varicella zoster virus in a previously healthy young man, with a typical development and a fast and complete recovery. A 27-years-old male was admitted to our hospital with chest pain and signs of acute cardiac injury...

Chickenpox is one of the most common infectious diseases in children. In most of the cases the disease is mild and no complications of it are being observed. However, in some of the paediatric patients, the disease may have a serious course with different complications. Most of them are not life-threatening, but some of them, like myocarditis, hepatitis or thrombocytopenia, may be dangerous. Neurological complications of Varicella-zoster virus infection, like encephalitis, meningitis, transverse myelitis, cerebellitis, polyneuropathy or an ischemic stroke, are relatively rare...