ReviewVirology journal2026
Varicella zoster virus-related myelitis: a case series and literature review.
Review in Virology journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionVaricella zoster virus (VZV) is a human neurotropic herpesvirus that remains latent in the dorsal root ganglia and can reactivate to cause herpes zoster. In immunocompromised patients, reactivation may lead to severe neurological complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, myelitis, and neuropathy. However, varicella zoster virus-related myelitis (VZVM) is relatively rare, particularly in immunocompetent adults. The pathogenesis may involve direct viral invasion of the spinal cord parenchyma during the acute phase or a postinfectious immune-mediated inflammatory response. CASE PRESENTATIONS: This report describes three patients with VZVM(one woman ages 49 years and two men age 60 and 56 years), none of whom presented with a typical rash. Two patients (cases 1 and 2) developed encephalomyelitis at disease onset, characterized by fever, impaired consciousness, and long-segment spinal cord lesions. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) detected VZV nucleic acid in both cases. In case 3, the patient initially developed VZVM complicated by cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. After an interval of approximately 40 days, delayed thoracic myelitis developed, and repeated CSF mNGS testing yielded negative results. All three patients received intravenous antiviral therapy; two additionally received low-dose corticosteroids combined with intravenous immunoglobulin, and one received intravenous methylprednisolone. During follow-up, one patient achieved full recovery of lower-limb motor function, whereas two patients remained paraplegic.
conclusionsVZVM presents with diverse clinical manifestations and may occur without the typical vesicular rash. It can develop either during the initial phase of VZV infection or as a delayed complication. Early magnetic resonance imaging and CSF molecular testing support timely diagnosis. Prompt and adequate antiviral therapy combined with immunomodulatory treatment may improve neurological outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.