ACUTE CHILDHOOD HEMIPLEGIA ASSOCIATED WITH CHICKENPOX

Although primary varicella-associated central nervous system complicat ions and herpes tester ophthalmicus with delayed hemiplegia are well k nown, and chickenpox is a common infection, cerebral vasculopathy asso ciated with chickenpox has only been described recently, We report the case of an 18-month-old girl who developed a right hemiplegia 10 days after the onset of a primary varicella infection. She has the shortes t latent interval in the literature, Cranial computed tomography and m agnetic resonance imaging suggest an infarction involving the left put amen and internal capsule, Magnetic resonance angiography is normal. P ossible causes of acute infantile hemiplegia are excluded. Neurologic signs gradually improve without any specific treatment, A review of th e literature is also presented. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.