Meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, and lumbosacral plexopathy can occur in association with primary attacks of anogenital herpes. Anogenital herpes should always be considered as a possible cause of acute retention of urine and paraparesis suggesting localized lumbosacral myelitis. But we have found a few reports of herpes simplex virus infection producing spinal cord involvement.

We describe here a woman who presented with urinary retention and paraplegia secondary to myeloradiculopathy associated with herpes simplex virus infection of anogenital area. Clinical symptoms, signs, electrodiagnostic findings, findings of cerebrospinal fluid investigation, serum and cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin, and MRI findings on thoraco-lumbar spine in this rare case were reviewed.