# Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus Secondary to Periorbital Cellulitis

## TL;DR

This paper reports a rare case of herpes zoster ophthalmicus in a 54-year-old woman with an unusual medical history.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in presenting an uncommon manifestation of the herpes zoster virus following periorbital cellulitis.

## Key findings

- The patient exhibited a rare form of herpes zoster known as herpes zoster ophthalmicus.
- The case highlights the importance of considering VZV reactivation in patients with atypical presentations.
- The patient's medical history may have contributed to the unusual manifestation of the disease.

## Abstract

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, also commonly known as chickenpox, is a communicable disease most often contracted in childhood via contact, airborne, or droplet transmission. After about a two-week incubation period, patients can experience a prodromal phase, which includes a pruritic vesicular blistering rash with associated constitutional symptoms such as fever, headache, malaise, muscle aches, fatigue, and sore throat. Symptoms are often self-limiting and only require supportive care and observation. We report a case of a 54-year-old female who presented with an unusual background history and was found to have a rare manifestation of herpes zoster virus, presenting as herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO).