ArticleBMJ case reports2020
Varicella-zoster meningitis in an immunocompetent young man presenting with a painless erythematous rash.
Article in BMJ case reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Varicella zoster virus meningitis with a dermatomal rash in immunocompetent hosts: a systematic review and novel case report.Journal of neurovirology · 2026Pooled it
- Varicella-zoster virus meningitis with hypoglycorrhachia, presenting with painless occipital herpes zoster mimicking atopic dermatitis.BMJ case reports · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
A 32-year-old man presented with a 7-day history of generalised headache, intermittent fever, emesis and diarrhoea. Four days after symptom onset, he developed a vesicular rash on his medial left thigh, without associated pain, paraesthesia or pruritus. He had no significant past medical history, and no HIV risk factors. He was presumed to have enteroviral meningitis and was commenced on supportive therapy. Lumbar puncture was performed and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed a lymphocytic pleocytosis. While awaiting CSF serology, the formation of a new vesicle was noted at the site of the rash and was swabbed. Results for both the CSF and vesicle swab returned positive for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) confirming concurrent VZV meningitis with atypical painless herpes zoster in a young immunocompetent patient. He was initiated on intravenous acyclovir and made a full recovery after 2 weeks of treatment.
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Registered trials
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