A 25-year-old immunocompetent patient presents with a painful unilateral vesicular rash in a dermatomal distribution over the right thorax accompanied by intense burning pain. This is caused by reactivation of a latent virus that establishes latency in:

• A Dorsal root ganglia ✓
• B Cerebral cortical neurons
• C Anterior horn cells
• D Epidermal keratinocytes

Explanation

Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) establishes latency in the dorsal root ganglia (and cranial nerve ganglia) following primary varicella infection. Reactivation, typically triggered by immunosenescence or immunosuppression, causes Herpes Zoster (shingles) — a painful dermatomal vesicular eruption. The virus travels down the sensory nerve to the corresponding skin segment. Anterior horn cells are involved in poliomyelitis; keratinocytes are the site of active replication, not latency.

Reference: Ananthanarayan & Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 11th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.