Shingles and Pericarditis: A Rare Combination

Clinical infection with varicella in both its’ forms, primary and reactivation, can be associated with a variety of complications. Cardiac complications, though very rare, have been associated with the primary form of varicella zoster and as such should be recognized in order to initiate early treatment and prevent morbidity and mortality. However, cardiac complications have not been described in association with the reactivation form of varicella. We report a case of an adult immunocompetent male who presented with herpes zoster complicated by pericarditis with pericardial effusion and a positive varicella zoster virus (VZV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in pericardial fluid.