TABLE 2.
Characteristics of 69 patients with neurological VZV infection
| Meningitis (n = 26) | CNS (n = 27) | PNS (n = 16) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years (median [IQR]) | 34 [24–48] | 63 [52–81] | 68 [37–82] |
| Female, n (%) | 18 (70%) | 9 (33%) | 6 (38%) |
| Immunosuppressed or at risk, n (%) | 6 (23%) | 19 (70%) | 4 (25%) |
| Severe immunosuppression, n (%) | 4 (15%) | 12 (44%) | 3 (19%) |
| Anterior mRS (median [IQR]) | 0 [0–0.8] | 2 [0–3] | 0 [0–1] |
| Fever > 38°C, n (%) | 19 (73%) | 11 (41%) | 4 (25%) |
| Herpes zoster, n (%) | 17 (65%) | 16 (59%) | 12 (75%) |
| CSF protein level, g/L (median [IQR]) | 0.9 [0.7–1.3] | 1 [0.6–2.1] | 0.9 [0.7–0.9] |
| CSF VZV viral load, log (median [IQR]) | 5.2 [4.5–5.6] | 4.7 [4.1–5.4] | 4.3 [3–5.6] |
| CSF IFN, IU/L (median [IQR]) | 0 [0‐0] n = 21 | 0 [0‐3] n = 26 | 0 [0–0] |
| CRP, mg/L (median [IQR]) | 1.3 [0–3.7] | 17.6 [8–45.8] | 1.1 [0–5.3] |
| Antiviral treatment, n (%) | 24 (92%) | 26 (96%) | 16 (100%) |
| Treatment duration, days (median [IQR]) | 10 [7–14] | 21 [14–23] | 14 [10–21] |
| Outcomes (n = 62/69): | |||
| Completed long term follow‐up, n (%) | 25 (96%) | 22 (81%) | 15 (94%) |
| Unfavorable outcome, n (%) | 6 (24%) | 18 (82%) | 13 (87%) |
| Deaths linked to VZV, n (%) | 0 (0%) | 8 (36%) | 0 (0%) |
| Incomplete recovery, n (%) | 6 (24%) | 10 (45%) | 13 (87%) |
| mRS delta (median [IQR]) | 0 [0–0] | 1 [1–3] | 1 [1–2] |
| Follow‐up, years (median [IQR]) | 3.4 [2–4.4] | 0.5 [0.3–3.8] | 2.2 [1.2–3.7] |
Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; CRP, C‐reactive protein; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; IFN, interferon; IQR, interquartiles 25–75; mRS, modified Rankin scale; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PNS, peripheral nervous system; VZV, varicella zoster virus. Unfavorable outcome was defined as mortality or incomplete recovery (any persistent symptom or sequelae). Disability linked to the neurological infection was assessed by the mRS delta defined by the difference from baseline mRS (mRS delta = mRS at recovery − mRS prior to VZV infection).