Peripheral Facial Paralysis Following Chickenpox Infection in Adults: A Rare Complication

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV/HHV-3), one of the eight human herpesviruses. VZV virus-associated peripheral neuropathies usually occur after shingles in adults and more rarely after chickenpox in children. Although chickenpox has a good prognosis, neurological complications such as encephalitis, acute cerebellar ataxia, myelitis, and meningitis are rarely associated with the disease. Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) is an extremely rare complication in patients with chickenpox. We report the case of a 19-year-old woman with unilateral PFP, which developed after varicella infection, who was successfully treated with acyclovir, short-term steroids, and physical rehabilitation.