Lung

Infectious

Viral

Varicella zoster



Last author update: 1 September 2011
Last staff update: 7 August 2020

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PubMed search: varicella zoster pneumonia

Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.
Page views in 2024 to date: 212
Cite this page: Weisenberg E. Varicella zoster. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/lungnontumorVZV.html. Accessed March 28th, 2024.
Clinical features
  • Overwhelmingly a benign disease in childhood (Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2011;30:435)
  • Adults with infection have 25× risk of children in developing pneumonia; occurs in 10% - 15% of adult patients (Ann Thorac Med 2007;2:163)
  • Greatest risk of severe disease in immunosuppressed patients, especially bone marrow transplant recipients, patients with chronic lung disease, pregnant women and neonates
  • Incidence has declined with effective treatment, but is increasing due to unvaccinated individuals
  • Diagnosis usually apparent from skin lesions and clinical history, but immunohistochemistry, culture or PCR may be necessary to rule out HSV
  • Pneumonia usually occurs 2 - 7 days after rash appears
  • Pulmonary calcifications may occur after recovery
  • Untreated pneumonia has 10% - 40% mortality rate
Gross description
  • Heavy, firm and purple lungs
  • May have hemorrhagic lesions on pleura resembling skin lesions
Microscopic (histologic) description
  • Necrosis of bronchial and alveolar epithelium, acute inflammation and hemorrhage, eosinophilic nuclear inclusions and rare multinucleated cells at edge of necrotic foci
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