Sabunwala Suhel A, Cornelius Tuhina
Infectious Diseases, Methodist South Hospital, Memphis, USA.
Cureus. 2025 May 22;17(5):e84630. doi: 10.7759/cureus.84630. eCollection 2025 May.
Disseminated varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection is rare in older adults. It is usually seen in immunocompromised adults. It usually manifests as generalized skin lesions, and most patients respond to Acyclovir treatment. Very few cases have been reported where the infection progresses to involve the lungs. Here we present a case of a young female with a history of uncontrolled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who presented with diffuse skin lesions that were tested positive for VZV. Despite starting on an appropriate regimen with Intravenous Acyclovir, the patient progressed to develop severe pneumonia and respiratory failure.
播散性水痘带状疱疹病毒（VZV）感染在老年人中较为罕见。它通常见于免疫功能低下的成年人。其通常表现为全身性皮肤病变，大多数患者对阿昔洛韦治疗有反应。据报道，很少有病例感染进展至累及肺部。在此，我们报告一例有未控制的人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染病史的年轻女性，该患者出现弥漫性皮肤病变，VZV检测呈阳性。尽管开始使用静脉注射阿昔洛韦的适当治疗方案，但患者仍进展为严重肺炎和呼吸衰竭。
