Table 1 Characteristics of patients with meningoradiculitis with rash.
| n | Age (years)/sex | Zonal area | Associated symptoms | Immuno depression | Date of LP after eruption (days) | Cells/μl (% Ly) | CSF‐specific oligoclonal IgG* | Immunoblotting pattern of VZV antibodies CSF/serum | PCR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herpes zoster ophthalmicus | |||||||||
| 1 | 50/M | V1 | Diplopia | + | +22 | 14 (98) | + | +++>++ | − |
| 2 | 44/M | V1,V2 | UNK | UNK | +30 | 54 (93) | − | ++>+ | − |
| 3 | 73/M | V1 | Diplopia, neuralgia | − | +18 | 113 (100) | + | ++>+ | − |
| 4 | 72/F | V1 | Diplopia | + | +12 | 270 (99) | + | ++>− | − |
| 5 | 40/F | V1 | Headache | − | +2 | 10 (99) | − | −/− | − |
| 6 | 77/F | V1 | Headache | − | +2 | <6 | − | −/− | + |
| 7 | 61/M | V1 | Diplopia | − | +9 | 80 (99) | − | ++>+ | − |
| 8 | 26/F | V1 | Headache, fever | + | UNK | 166 (72) | − | +/+ | + |
| 9 | 58/M | V1 | Headache | + | +15 | UNK | − | ++>+ | − |
| Herpes zoster oticus | |||||||||
| 10 | 64/M | Oticus | FP | − | +10 | 267 (98) | + | ++>+ | − |
| 11 | 67/M | Oticus | Cerebellar signs, FP | − | +11 | 29 (95) | − | ++>− | + |
| 12 | 17/M | Oticus | FP | − | +5 | 266 (93) | − | +/+ | + |
| 13 | 23/M | Oticus | FP | − | +26 | 12 (ND) | − | −/− | + |
| 14 | 63/M | Oticus | FP | − | +1 | 80 (ND) | + | −/− | + |
| 15 | 57/M | Oticus | FP | + | +3 | <6 | + | −/− | + |
| 16 | 18/M | Oticus | Headache, FP | − | +4 | 127 (96) | − | −/− | + |
| 17 | 51/F | Oticus | FP | − | +7 | 7 (83) | − | −/− | − |
| 18 | 45/F | Oticus | Headache, fever, FP | + | +3 | 6 (ND) | − | −/− | − |
| 19 | 22/F | Oticus | Headache, FP | − | +2 | 246 (96) | − | −/− | + |
| 20 | 46/F | Oticus | FP | + | +9 | 48 (98) | + | +++/+++ | − |
| Cervico‐thoraco‐lumbar zoster | |||||||||
| 21 | 72/F | C5,C6 | Confusion | − | +10 | 196 (97) | + | +++>++ | − |
| 22 | 84/F | C4 | L hemiparesis | − | +1 | <6 | − | −/− | − |
| 23 | 58/F | T 3 | Diffuse hyperesthesia | − | +1 | 13 (98) | − | −/− | − |
| 24 | 71/F | T10, L1 | Headache | − | +4 | 52 (90) | − | ++/++ | + |
| 25 | 21/F | T6,T7 | Headache | − | +6 | 358 (89) | − | ND | + |
| 26 | 73/M | L4,L5 | Epileptic seizure | − | +13 | 46 (98) | + | +++>++ | − |
| 27 | 71/M | T8 | Amnesia | − | +8 | 72 (97) | − | +/+ | + |
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; F, female; FP, facial palsy; IgG, immunoglobulin G; L, left; LP, lumbar puncture; % Ly, percentage of lymphocytes; M, male; ND, not done; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; R, right; UNK, unknown; VZV, varicella‐zoster virus.
+, present; −, absent; >, higher number of oligoclonal anti‐VZV antibodies in the CSF, indicating an intrathecal synthesis.
*In this column, +, intrathecal synthesis of oligoclonal IgG (patterns II and III); −, a polyclonal IgG background or a mirror pattern (patterns I and IV from Andersson et al5).