Neurological performance after central nervous system complication of childhood chickenpox

Abstract

Varicella-zoster virus is an exclusively human pathogen of an acute exanthematous illness usually linked with childhood. Although the disease is commonly considered benign, varicella-zoster virus bears the potential of causing a wide range of different complications, including central nervous system manifestations. In this paper, an assessment of long-term sequelae and the quality of life in a cohort of patients with neurological complications who survived an acute episode is discussed. We enrolled a total of 71 patients aged two months to 16 years with the diagnosis of varicella complicated by central nervous system disease into the study. Data were collected after their discharge from the hospital by mail and by telephone call interviews using standardised questionnaires. The time from the discharge to the filling of the survey varied between the patients, with a median time of 5.4 years. The collected data were analysed, and the results were compared with the literature. The diagnosis of ischaemic stroke and encephalitis was linked to the most unfavourable outcome, as opposed to acute cerebellar ataxia associated with the most favourable prognosis. Neuropsychological performance should be further monitored to prevent a decrease of independence in everyday performance.