Post-varicella angiopathy: a series of 4 patients with focus on virologic and neuroimaging findings.

BACKGROUND

Post-varicella angiopathy is an important cause of childhood stroke and follows a particular pattern. Specific treatment guidelines have not been developed because of a lack of epidemiological, laboratory, and neuroimaging data. Prospective randomized controlled trials evaluating different treatment strategies have not been performed, and expert opinions on diagnostic criteria, prognosis, and treatment are diverging.

METHODS

This case series describes the clinical course, laboratory, and neuroimaging findings of four children with post-varicella angiopathy, who all underwent cerebrospinal fluid assessment and received antiviral, immunosuppressive, and antiplatelet treatment.

RESULTS

Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was positive for varicella-zoster virus markers in three children. At follow-up, three children had a mild hemiparesis and one child had no neurological symptoms. Neuroimaging showed complete vascular remission in three patients and improvement in one.

CONCLUSIONS

Systematic search for virologic markers in cerebrospinal fluid will contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of idiopathic childhood stroke and can be considered as a prerequisite for the development of clear diagnostic criteria and relevant treatment strategies for post-varicella angiopathy. The role of antiviral and immunosuppressive medication needs to be clarified.