Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy

The classical prototype of Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) associated vasculopathy is contralateral hemiplegia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus. We describe a 30-year-old patient with no vascular risk factors who presented with a lacunar stroke and was found to have focal intracranial stenosis. He pres...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Abu-Abaa, Hassaan Arshad, Mohammed Kananeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University 2023-01-01
Series:Brown Journal of Hospital Medicine
Online Access:https://bhm.scholasticahq.com/article/56070-unexplained-stroke-and-multifocal-intracranial-stenosis-due-to-varicella-zoster-virus-vasculopathy
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author Mohammad Abu-Abaa
Hassaan Arshad
Mohammed Kananeh
author_facet Mohammad Abu-Abaa
Hassaan Arshad
Mohammed Kananeh
author_sort Mohammad Abu-Abaa
collection DOAJ
description The classical prototype of Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) associated vasculopathy is contralateral hemiplegia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus. We describe a 30-year-old patient with no vascular risk factors who presented with a lacunar stroke and was found to have focal intracranial stenosis. He presented again one and a half months later with new findings suggestive of progressive multifocal intracranial stenoses. Although vasculitis was suspected initially, varicella zoster virus reactivity raised the possibility of VZV associated vasculopathy. This case serves as a reminder to suspect this type of vasculopathy even in immunocompetent patients with no cutaneous manifestations. Intracranial stenosis affecting M1 of the middle cerebral artery and the distal portion of the internal carotid artery is common in VZV vasculopathy and should hint toward the diagnosis as shown in this case.
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spelling doaj.art-170e9ca5591747bb9c36b32f54cd25752022-12-22T03:46:37ZengDepartment of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown UniversityBrown Journal of Hospital Medicine2831-55532023-01-0114Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus VasculopathyMohammad Abu-AbaaHassaan ArshadMohammed KananehThe classical prototype of Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) associated vasculopathy is contralateral hemiplegia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus. We describe a 30-year-old patient with no vascular risk factors who presented with a lacunar stroke and was found to have focal intracranial stenosis. He presented again one and a half months later with new findings suggestive of progressive multifocal intracranial stenoses. Although vasculitis was suspected initially, varicella zoster virus reactivity raised the possibility of VZV associated vasculopathy. This case serves as a reminder to suspect this type of vasculopathy even in immunocompetent patients with no cutaneous manifestations. Intracranial stenosis affecting M1 of the middle cerebral artery and the distal portion of the internal carotid artery is common in VZV vasculopathy and should hint toward the diagnosis as shown in this case.https://bhm.scholasticahq.com/article/56070-unexplained-stroke-and-multifocal-intracranial-stenosis-due-to-varicella-zoster-virus-vasculopathy
spellingShingle Mohammad Abu-Abaa
Hassaan Arshad
Mohammed Kananeh
Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy
Brown Journal of Hospital Medicine
title Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy
title_full Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy
title_fullStr Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy
title_full_unstemmed Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy
title_short Unexplained Stroke and Multifocal Intracranial Stenosis due to Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy
title_sort unexplained stroke and multifocal intracranial stenosis due to varicella zoster virus vasculopathy
url https://bhm.scholasticahq.com/article/56070-unexplained-stroke-and-multifocal-intracranial-stenosis-due-to-varicella-zoster-virus-vasculopathy
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AT hassaanarshad unexplainedstrokeandmultifocalintracranialstenosisduetovaricellazostervirusvasculopathy
AT mohammedkananeh unexplainedstrokeandmultifocalintracranialstenosisduetovaricellazostervirusvasculopathy