Korean J Dermatol.  2004 Oct;42(10):1337-1339.

A Case of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Associated with Chickenpox

• Nam YH
• Im M
• Lee EJ
• Seo YJ
• Lee JH
• Park JK

Abstract

Chickenpox (varicella) is caused by the varicella zoster virus and can be associated with noncutaneous complications, including encephalitis, pneumonitis, and ocular disease. Previously described ocular complications resulting from chickenpox were conjunctival and corneal lesions, iridocyclitis, glaucoma, chorioretinitis, and optic nerve lesions. Most of the reported cases were anterior uveitis with self-limited disease course and patients usually recovered good vision or had but a partial visual defect. We treated a patient who developed permanent visual loss after chickenpox. A 24-year-old female who developed the typical rash of chickenpox four days before she complained of a sudden loss of vision in her left eye. The exact cause of central retinal artery occlusion in our patient is not known, but its coincidence with chickenpox is interesting.

Keyword

Chickenpox; Central retinal artery occlusion

MeSH Terms

Chickenpox*
Chorioretinitis
Encephalitis
Exanthema
Female
Glaucoma
Herpesvirus 3, Human
Humans
Iridocyclitis
Optic Nerve
Pneumonia
Retinal Artery Occlusion*
Retinal Artery*
Uveitis, Anterior
Young Adult