Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease
Varicella zoster virus causes varicella (chickenpox). It can be reactivated endogenously many years later to cause herpes zoster (shingles). Although varicella is usually a benign disease in healthy children, it resulted in over 11 000 hospitalizations and over 100 deaths every year, in all ages, in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2324709618770230 |
| _version_ | 1819205882432454656 |
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| author | John T. Denny MD Zoe M. Rocke BS Valerie A. McRae MD Julia E. Denny MSN, CRNA Christine Hunter Fratzola MD Sajjad Ibrar MD Joyce Bonitz MD James T. Tse MD, PhD Shaul Cohen MD Scott J. Mellender MD Geza K. Kiss MD |
| author_facet | John T. Denny MD Zoe M. Rocke BS Valerie A. McRae MD Julia E. Denny MSN, CRNA Christine Hunter Fratzola MD Sajjad Ibrar MD Joyce Bonitz MD James T. Tse MD, PhD Shaul Cohen MD Scott J. Mellender MD Geza K. Kiss MD |
| author_sort | John T. Denny MD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Varicella zoster virus causes varicella (chickenpox). It can be reactivated endogenously many years later to cause herpes zoster (shingles). Although varicella is usually a benign disease in healthy children, it resulted in over 11 000 hospitalizations and over 100 deaths every year, in all ages, in the United States. Morbidity was considerably worse in older teenagers and adults. Between 5% and 15% of cases of adult chickenpox will produce some form of pulmonary illness. Progression to pneumonia risk factors include pregnancy, age, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and immunosuppression. Typically, pulmonary symptoms occur 1 to 6 days after varicella zoster infection. They often include cough, fever, and dyspnea. Treatment is a 7-day course of intravenous acyclovir for varicella pneumonia. Early intervention may modify the course of this complication. This review illustrates practical features with a case of a 34-year-old female with severe varicella pneumonia. Despite the lack of significant past medical history and absence of immunosuppression, her pneumonia worsened and by using continuous positive airway pressure mask, intubation was avoided. More important, the radiographic progression of severe varicella pneumonia is shown. This highlights how a common disease of varicella can progress in an adult and manifest with significant organ malfunction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T04:58:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cab45838f77d420a993891192499b1de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2324-7096 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T04:58:46Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-cab45838f77d420a993891192499b1de2022-12-21T17:59:16ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports2324-70962018-04-01610.1177/2324709618770230Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common DiseaseJohn T. Denny MD0Zoe M. Rocke BS1Valerie A. McRae MD2Julia E. Denny MSN, CRNA3Christine Hunter Fratzola MD4Sajjad Ibrar MD5Joyce Bonitz MD6James T. Tse MD, PhD7Shaul Cohen MD8Scott J. Mellender MD9Geza K. Kiss MD10Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USASt. George’s University, St. George, GrenadaRutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USANew York University, New York, NY, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USARutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USAVaricella zoster virus causes varicella (chickenpox). It can be reactivated endogenously many years later to cause herpes zoster (shingles). Although varicella is usually a benign disease in healthy children, it resulted in over 11 000 hospitalizations and over 100 deaths every year, in all ages, in the United States. Morbidity was considerably worse in older teenagers and adults. Between 5% and 15% of cases of adult chickenpox will produce some form of pulmonary illness. Progression to pneumonia risk factors include pregnancy, age, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and immunosuppression. Typically, pulmonary symptoms occur 1 to 6 days after varicella zoster infection. They often include cough, fever, and dyspnea. Treatment is a 7-day course of intravenous acyclovir for varicella pneumonia. Early intervention may modify the course of this complication. This review illustrates practical features with a case of a 34-year-old female with severe varicella pneumonia. Despite the lack of significant past medical history and absence of immunosuppression, her pneumonia worsened and by using continuous positive airway pressure mask, intubation was avoided. More important, the radiographic progression of severe varicella pneumonia is shown. This highlights how a common disease of varicella can progress in an adult and manifest with significant organ malfunction.https://doi.org/10.1177/2324709618770230 |
| spellingShingle | John T. Denny MD Zoe M. Rocke BS Valerie A. McRae MD Julia E. Denny MSN, CRNA Christine Hunter Fratzola MD Sajjad Ibrar MD Joyce Bonitz MD James T. Tse MD, PhD Shaul Cohen MD Scott J. Mellender MD Geza K. Kiss MD Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports |
| title | Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease |
| title_full | Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease |
| title_fullStr | Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease |
| title_short | Varicella Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of a Potentially Lethal Complication of a Common Disease |
| title_sort | varicella pneumonia case report and review of a potentially lethal complication of a common disease |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2324709618770230 |
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