VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS-INFECTION AFTER ALLOGENEIC OR AUTOLOGOUS HEMATOPOIETIC STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION

A retrospective study was carried out in 161 patients who underwent al logeneic or autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplants. The aim was to determine the frequency, outcome and risk-factors associated with v aricella tester virus (VZV) infection. Post-transplant VZV infection o ccurred in 29 patients. The median onset of infection was 6.5 months p ose-transplant, with 82% of cases occurring within the first year. Loc alized herpes tester was seen in 21 patients, one patient had varicell a, and one patient had simultaneous presentation of both herpes tester and varicella. No cutaneous or visceral dissemination was noted in th e series, Each patient was treated with intravenous acyclovir. Mild co mplications with postherpetic neuralgia were reported by three patient s. There were no deaths from VZV infection. Two risk factors noted to be associated with VZV infection were the presence of graft-versus-hos t disease in allogeneic transplants and leukemia as the underlying dis ease in autologous transplants. The overall incidence of post-transpla nt VZV infection in the present series was relatively low compared wit h that of other reports involving either allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation.