Disseminated herpes zoster in diabetes mellitus

A 71-year old man presented with painful hemorrhagic vesicles and papules over the entire body that had persisted for three days. Type 2 diabetes mellitus type 2 had been diagnosed 20 years ago and had not been treated for the last 5 years. Therapy had been discontinued by the patient. HbA1c (11,9%) and blood glucose levels (up to 360 mg/dl) were abnormal. Varicella-zoster-DNA was replicated by PCR from the vesicle fluid. After the clinical diagnosis of disseminated herpes zoster had been confirmed systemic therapy with aciclovir 10 mg/kg day was started. There was no evidence of malignancy. Insulin therapy was initiated. Dissemination is a rare complication of herpes zoster, aided by immunosuppression. In the presented case there was no evidence of malignancy or other cause of immunosuppression, but the patient also had type 2 diabetes with very high blood glucose levels. The diabetes was thought to be causally related to the ineffective immune response to varicella zoster virus. There has been no previous published report of this relationship.