Abstract
Objective: To report a rare etiology of neuroinfection in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the State of Ceará. Case Details: Varicella zoster encephalitis (VZV) is a rare disorder in the general population, usually associated with conditions that cause a drop in immunity (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, AIDS and other chronic diseases). Since it is not a condition for spontaneous notification, there are no data on its occurrence in Brazil, and especially in the Northeast of the country. related to opportunistic diseases, however without compatible imaging findings, Varicella zoster being identified in the CSF, even without a previous dermatological condition. Conclusion: In patients with HIV, VZV encephalitis deserves to be remembered as a differential diagnosis in all cases of neuroinfection. The use of molecular biology techniques in the diagnosis proved to be promising, reducing hospital stay, optimizing therapy and reducing complications and deaths.