Case Report of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus with Concurrent Parotitis

A 36-year-old immunocompetent female presented to the emergency department (ED) with five days of headache and left-sided facial pain. Physical exam showed conjunctival injection of the left eye with multiple vesicular lesions distributed along the V1 dermatome. Labs were remarkable for mild elevation in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and c-reactive protein (CRP) with no elevation in white blood cell (WBC) count. Computed tomography (CT) with contrast of the neck revealed soft tissue stranding around the parotid gland. The patient was diagnosed with herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) with concurrent ipsilateral parotitis and subsequently treated with valacyclovir, ofloxacin eye drops, topical erythromycin ointment and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Upon follow-up ten days after discharge, the patient noted marked improvement in her symptoms and reduction in pain. To our knowledge, this is the first case described in medical literature of a female patient with HZO and ipsilateral parotitis. TOPICS: Herpes zoster opthalmicus, varicella-zoster virus, parotitis.