Abstract
Varicella is a common infectious diseases of childhood. Primary varicella zoster virus infection appears most often in choldren and the course of the disease is usually benign.
Complications can be expected in well known risk groups - adults, newborns nad infants, immunocompromised patients and during pregnancy - even though in otherwise helathy child the courseof varicella may be complicated. A higher incidence of pneumonia is typical for risk group patients.
A secondary bacterial infection of skin lesions (usually streptococcal or staphylococcal) present another serious complication that may lead to focal soft tissue involvement to severe generalised infection. Among possible neurological complications, cerebellar ataxia is the most frequent one in children and usually has a good outcome.
VZV vasculopathy,a productive viral infection of cerebral arteries, comes rarelyon and can cause ischaemic strokes even in children. Active immunisation still remains the most effective way to reduce the number of severe varicella complications in children.