Studies from Second Affiliated Hospital in the Area of Herpes Zoster Virus Described (Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid: a diagnostic approach for varicella zoster virus-related encephalitis).

A study conducted at the Second Affiliated Hospital in Xi'an, China, focused on varicella zoster virus-related encephalitis (VZV-RE), a rare condition often misdiagnosed, leading to poor prognosis. The researchers used metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to detect and identify the VZV pathogen in cerebrospinal fluid samples, aiding in definitive diagnosis. The study analyzed 28 patients with VZV-RE, highlighting various clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes, emphasizing the importance of mNGS in diagnosing VZV central nervous system infections when traditional methods yield negative results. [Extracted from the article]