Polyneuritis and herpes zoster

Abstract

Widespread neurological disorders following herpes zoster are exceptional. They include encephalitis and myelitis, and a type of polyneuropathy. The latter is particularly rare as only 16 cases have been described since the first account by Wohlwill in 1924. We present two clinical cases of polyneuropathy following herpes zoster with neuropathological studies on one of them, and discuss its possible aetiology and pathogenesis in the light of previous reports and recent experimental studies.