Varicella is usually a mild childhood disease; however, primary infection in adults may lead to severe complications, particularly varicella pneumonia. We report the case of a 32-year-old previously healthy male admitted to the intensive care unit with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure occurring three days after the onset of a diffuse vesicular rash. Chest CT demonstrated bilateral ground-glass opacities with focal consolidation consistent with viral pneumonia. The diagnosis was established based on typical cutaneous findings, epidemiological exposure, and compatible imaging results. Early treatment with intravenous acyclovir followed by oral valacyclovir resulted in favorable clinical and radiological outcomes. This case emphasizes the importance of early recognition and prompt antiviral therapy to improve prognosis, even in immunocompetent adults without classical risk factors.
Goubi et al. (2026) studied this question.