Viral pneumonia caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection is a rare but important complication, especially regarding varicella infections. Although disseminated cutaneous herpes zoster (DCHZ) is often associated with visceral diseases, there have been few reports of DCHZ-related pneumonia. We herein report a rare case of a lethal disseminated VZV infection that caused severe pneumonia in a Japanese patient who had chronic interstitial pneumonia. Physicians should consider the possibility of VZV-related pneumonia, especially in patients with a medical history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy.
Keywords: chronic interstitial pneumonia; disseminated cutaneous herpes zoster; myelodysplastic syndrome; varicella-zoster virus; viral pneumonia.