Varicella pneumonia in adult population:: review of 21 cases

Background. Retrospective study of the varicella pneumonia in adults, in order to know incidence, environmental and clinical characteristics and treatments of patients with this diagnosis during the last 9 years in Toledo. Material and methods. Twenty-one adult patients with the diagnosis of varicella pneumonia were studied, using the information of clinical histories and codified data. The backgrounds of pregnancy, smoking habit, concomitant diseases, previous contacts with another patients and the season of the year, were evaluated. Diagnosis was established by clinical and radiologic criteria in the course of varicella infection. Results. 21 patients (10 males and 11 females, between 25 and 73 years) were studied. 17 (81%) were smokers, in 15 (71.4%) there was documented contact with varicella infection and 4 (19%) were immunocompromised. In the first 3-7 days after the development of skin lesions (100%), there was fever in 20 cases (95.2%) and dyspnea in 14 (66.7%). There were 4 patients (33,3%) without respiratory symptoms and in 5 (23,8%) there was important hypoxemia. Evolution was satisfactory in 20 cases (95.2%); three others requiring admission to Intensive Care Unit. Chest X-ray revealed an interstitial pattern in 11 cases (52.4%), nodular in 4 (19%) and a mixed pattern in 5 (23.8%). 20 patients were treated with acyclovir and in one case with foscarnet. In 28.57% cases, corticosteroids were needed. Conclusions. We believe smoking habit could be a risk factor related to an increase of varicella pneumonia. A chest X-ray should be made in every patient, despite the symptoms. Adults with pneumonia have a better prognosis if acyclovir is started early in time. Concomitant treatment with corticosteroids should be used in those cases with respiratory insufficiency.