The case of a 74-year-old woman who developed severe behavioural disturbance as part of a frontal lobe syndrome following herpes zoster is described. It is suggested that the frontal lobe deficits developed as a consequence of vascular complications of the infection.
KEY WORDS-herpes zoster; frontal lobe syndrome Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common condition resulting from the reactivation of the varicellazoster virus. It has been estimated that by age 85, 50% of people will have been affected (Hope-Simpson, 1965). HZ most often occurs in the thoracic dermatomes, although the trigeminal distribution (particularly the ophthalmic division) is the single most commonly affected site (Tenser, 1984).
The commonest neurological complication of HZ is postherpetic neuralgia, which occurs in 1040% of cases. Rarer neurological complications include encephalitis and intracranial vascular syndromes (Anderson, 1993).
We present the case of an elderly woman who developed severe behavioural changes consistent with frontal lobe damage following an episode of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO).
CASE REPORT
Mrs B, a 74-year-old woman, was referred to the Psychiatric Services for the Elderly with a 2-year history of verbal and physical aggression towards her husband. She had become increasingly irritable, shouting, slapping and punching him.