Superior Orbital Fissure Syndrome And Ophthalmoplegia Caused By Varicella Zoster Virus With No Skin Eruption In A Patient Treated With Tumor Necrosis Alpha Inhibitor

Varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the dorsal root ganglia after symptomatic chicken pox infection, usually in childhood. If the virus reactivates in the trigeminal ganglia, it can cause varicella zoster ophthalmicus, which can have severe ocular complications. We report a case of a 73-year-old woman in severe immunosuppression due to treatment with mycophenolate mofetil, glucocorticosteroids and a tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor. The reactivation caused superior orbital fissure syndrome, which has only rarely been described in relation to varicella zoster virus reactivation. In our case, the syndrome was seen along with severe encephalitis. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel