VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS INFECTIONS IN THE PEDIATRIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT PATIENT

Varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the human herpesvirus family, causes the clinical syndromes of chickenpox during primary infection and shingles on later reactivation. In immunocompromised patients, including those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, VZV can produce life-threatening infections. The most serious forms of VZV infection involve hematogenous dissemination of the virus to vital organs, such as the lung, brain, and liver. Advances in immunoprophylaxis, antiviral chemotherapy, and vaccine development have provided effective tools to limit the morbidity and mortality previously associated with VZV infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. In this review, we discuss virologic aspects of VZV, pathogenesis of VZV infection, methods of viral diagnosis, clinical manifestations of infection in both normal and immunocompromised patients, and available preventative and therapeutic measures.