PERIORBITAL VARICELLA GANGRENOSA NECESSITATING ORBITAL EXENTERATION IN A PREVIOUSLY HEALTHY ADULT

A previously healthy 31-year-old man had profound neurologic compromis e and necrotizing periorbital infection due to a complication of varic ella infection. Despite aggressive treatment, he required orbital exen teration and radical debridement of the involved tissues. He survived in a vegetative state for almost 1 year before succumbing to progressi ve neurologic deterioration. We present and discuss this complicated c ase of varicella gangrenosa to show the devastating nature of complica tions that can occur from varicella infection in the unsensitized adul t.