REVIEW   

Minerva Oftalmologica 2017 September;59(3):89-94

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4903.17.01781-0

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Ocular manifestations of varicella

Sourour ZINA ¹, Sana KHOCHTALI ¹, Salma GARGOURI ², Imen KSIAA ¹, Bechir JELLITI ¹, Moncef KHAIRALLAH ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia; ² Department of Ophthalmology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

Primary varicella infection, also known as chickenpox, is a common benign illness caused by varicella-zoster virus, typically associated with fever and characteristic pruritic generalized maculopapular vesicular skin rash. It usually affects children, but the condition may also occur in immunocompromised or otherwise healthy adults. Although Varicella virus infections are usually self-limited diseases, serious systemic complications may occur. Chickenpox ocular manifestations are rare and may include lid and conjunctival involvement, keratitis, anterior uveitis, chorioretinitis, acute retinal necrosis, retinal vasculitis, neuroretinitis, optic neuritis and optic atrophy, scleritis, and ophthalmoplegia.

KEY WORDS: Human herpesvirus 3 - Chickenpox - Keratitis - Uveitis - Acute retinal necrosis syndrome