[Varicella pneumonia in adults. Study of 13 cases].

Clinical and therapeutic features of 13 adult patients, diagnosed of Pneumonia Varicellosa are retrospectively reviewed, for the last ten years period, at Valle de Hebron General Hospital, Barcelona. Most of them had a cigarette consumption of over 20 per day, three of them showed simple chronic bronchitis criteria, and two had antibodies against HIV. Respiratory symptomatology, and dry cough, was present in 9 (75%), dyspnea in 7 (53%) and pleuritic pain in 6 (46%). Thorax radiology showed a bilateral interstitial pattern. IV aciclovir treatment was begun in patients with respiratory symptoms and hypoxemia (53%) with good therapeutic response.