Table 3 Characteristics of patients with generalised rash with encephalitis.
| n | Age (years)/sex | Clinical data | Immuno‐depression | Date of LP after eruption (days) | CSF pleocytosis | CSF‐specific oligoclonal IgG* | Immunoblotting pattern of VZV antibodies CSF/serum | PCR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 67/M | R hemiparesis, confusion | − | +1 | UNK | + | ND | + |
| +7 | 6 | + | +++>++ | − | ||||
| 33 | 69/F | Confusion, behavioural disorders | + | +1 | <6 | ND | ND | + |
| 34 | 33/M | Dysarthria, cerebellar syndrome | − | +1 | 125 (>50%) | + | ++>+ | ND |
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; F, female; IgG, immunoglobulin G; LP, lumbar puncture; M, male; ND, not done; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; 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).