Mollaret Meningitis Caused by Varicella-Zoster Virus: A Case Report

Mollaret meningitis is a recurrent aseptic meningitis mostly caused by herpes simplex virus type 2. Other causes of the disease rarely exist, and its pathology is not well understood. Herein, we present a 57-year-old man who had been admitted to our hospital eight times with recurrent aseptic meningitis. Although the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) was not detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), his genetic analysis, measurement of anti-VZV immunoglobulin-G (IgG) in the CSF, the VZV IgG index, IgG in the serum, and interleukin-1 beta in the CSF revealed that the Mollaret meningitis had been caused by the VZV. This case demonstrates that Mollaret meningitis can be caused by the VZV when specific factors are associated with decreased immune response. This case is valuable in elucidating the pathophysiology of Mollaret meningitis.