Article

Motor involvement in herpes zoster is very infrequent, occurring in 3%-5% of
cases, and it is caused by extension of the inflammatory process to the anterior
horn motor neurons, with the subsequent development of segmental motor paralysis.
The authors report a 37-yr-old woman with history of paresis in both lower limbs
secondary to spinal cord atrophy associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and
immunosuppression caused by chronic corticosteroid and azathioprine treatment of
ulcerative colitis, who developed worsening of her baseline residual muscle
strength in the right lower limb shortly after herpes zoster eruption.
Electromyography revealed acute denervation in territories corresponding to L3-L4
and moderate widespread axonal polyneuropathy affecting both lower limbs. The
patient recovered her baseline muscle strength after this event. To the best of
the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of herpes zoster motor
neuropathy in a patient with a previous motor sequel.

Langue : ANGLAIS