VARICELLA PNEUMONIA IN A HEALTHY ADULT PRESENTING WITH SEVERE RESPIRATORY-FAILURE

We describe a case of varicella pneumonia in a 24-year-old healthy man presenting with severe respiratory failure, A chest radiograph showed diffuse, bilateral airspace consolidation; additional complications i ncluded liver dysfunction and thrombocytopenia. However, treatment wit h intravenous acyclovir and gamma-globulin improved his clinical sympt oms and signs. A greater than four-fold change in paired titers of the varicella-zoster virus antibody was observed. Bronchoalveolar lavage performed during the recovery phase revealed increased total cell and lymphocyte counts and a decreased CD4:CD8 ratio of T lymphocytes. Tran sbronchial lung biopsy findings were compatible with a diagnosis of in terstitial pneumonia.