Varicella zoster virus ocular disease

The varicella tester virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family, cause s a wide spectrum of ocular and systemic diseases. Primary VZV infection, k nown as chickenpox, occurs predominantly in children, presenting as a self- limited disseminated maculopapular rash usually with minimal sequelae. The virus then becomes latent in the gang-Iia of sensory neurons; Zoster, or sh ingles, represents a reactivation of VZV in later life and is manifest as a vesicular rash frequently in a dermatomal distribution. Herpes tester opht halmicus (HZO), or tester affecting the VI dermatone, commonly heralds ocul ar involvement. VZV can affect all ocular structures, causing a variety of conditions (Table 1).