Elsberg syndrome caused by herpes zoster in the sacral region with preceding urinary retention

Daiki Nishiyama; Satoshi Yoshimura; Chihiro Shimizuhira; Nobuhiro Ikeda; Nobuhiro Miyamae; Yasuyuki Sumida

doi:10.1002/ams2.824

Elsberg syndrome caused by herpes zoster in the sacral region with preceding urinary retention

Acute Med Surg. 2023 Feb 23;10(1):e824. doi: 10.1002/ams2.824. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Daiki Nishiyama¹, Satoshi Yoshimura¹, Chihiro Shimizuhira², Nobuhiro Ikeda¹, Nobuhiro Miyamae¹, Yasuyuki Sumida¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine Rakuwakai Otowa Hospital Kyoto Japan.
² Department of Dermatology Rakuwakai Otowa Hospital Kyoto Japan.

Abstract

Background: Elsberg syndrome (ES) is an acute-onset lumbosacral radiculitis with myelitis caused by a herpes virus infection.

Case presentation: We present a case of a 77-year-old woman who was admitted with urinary retention prior to genital rash. The patient was diagnosed with ES and treated with intravenous acyclovir 250 mg every 8 h for 1 week.

Conclusion: Physicians should consider ES in patients with voiding dysfunction, as preceding neurological symptoms may lead to a misdiagnosis. Considering the adverse effects of the antiviral drug, its dosage should be according to the causative virus of the ES as well as the patient's age and medical history.

Keywords: Elsberg syndrome; VZV; acyclovir; herpes zoster; urinary retention.

Publication types

Case Reports