Cerebral vasculitis and obsessive-compulsive disorder following varicella infection in childhood

Varicella is largely a childhood disease, with more than 90% of cases occurring in children younger than 10 years. The primary infection is characterized by generalized vesicular dermal exanthemas, which are extremely contagious. Secondary bacterial infection and varicella pneumonia, usually seen in the immunocompromised or adult populations, may have high morbidity and mortality. Varicella in childhood is a generally benign and self-limited disorder; however, severe, life-threatening neurological complications may occur. We report a previously healthy eight-year-old boy who presented with acute hemiplegia and obsessive-compulsive disorder secondary to a lesion in lentiform nuclei associated with a history of recent varicella infection. The child was treated with sertraline for obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and made a full recovery.