[Acute encephalitis in zoster infection].

A case of herpes zoster acute meningo-encephalitis is reported. It is characterized by a profuse intra-cerebral hemorrhage on CT scan and a favorable outcome after treatment with acyclovir. The serological basis for the diagnosis, the mechanism of the encephalitis (viral invasion or immuno-allergic type of reaction), and the origin of the hemorrhagic lesion are discussed. The effectiveness of acyclovir in treating the extention of the infection to the nervous system in patients suffering from varicella-zoster is also discussed.