ArticleBMJ case reports2023
Varicella zoster virus cerebellitis without skin manifestations in an immunocompetent adult.
Article in BMJ case reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses 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, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Post-Infectious Cerebellitis: A Systematic Review of Aetiology, Clinical Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Clinic-radiological classification of herpesviral encephalitis in humans (systematic review).Journal of neurovirology · 2025Pooled it
- Rashless varicella-zoster virus encephalitis diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing: two case reports.BMC neurology · 2026Article
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 at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a ubiquitous, neurotropic pathogen capable of reactivation from sensory ganglion cells to cause dermatomal herpes zoster infection, alongside a range of pathologies within the central nervous system. The presence of VZV cerebellitis without skin manifestations, however, is exceedingly rare in immunocompetent adults.We report a case of VZV cerebellitis in an immunocompetent woman in her 70s, in the absence of a rash. The patient presented with a 2-week history of progressive gait ataxia, headache and mild confusion. Serological tests and neuroimaging were unremarkable. Diagnosis was confirmed through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis which revealed lymphocytosis and the presence of VZV DNA on PCR analysis. The patient showed symptomatic improvement following empirical acyclovir treatment, corroborated by favourable CSF analysis 10 days post-treatment initiation.Infective aetiology, including VZV, should be considered in patients presenting with acute cerebellar ataxia, even in immunocompetent adults with an absence of dermatological signs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.