ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Is Herpes Zoster Merely A Simple Neuralgia
Syndrome?
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Maltepe University, Faculty of Medicine,
Department of Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey
Publication date: 2011-07-11
Corresponding author
Şevki Şahin
Department of Neurology, Faculty of
Medicine, Maltepe University, Istanbul,
Turkey
Eur J Gen Med 2011;8(3):219-223
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Aim: Although, herpes zoster usually presents with postherpetic neuralgia
(PHN) localized at single dermatome, it may also manifest with
different clinical presentations. To clarify of these rare conditions,
we aimed to examine the cases of PHN followed by our clinic in more
details.
Method: Medical records of 26 patients in total monitored by the
neurology outpatient clinic for PHN between 2008 and 2010 were reviewed.
Result: The mean age of the patients was 61.9±16.4 years, with a
female-male ratio of 15/11. Ten of the patients (38 %) had a chronic
illness history such as solid cancer, lymphoma, diabetes mellitus, cardiac
valve prosthesis and Parkinson’s disease. Eight of the patients
had trigeminal nerve lesions (ophthalmic in 7 and mandibular in 1),
3 had spinal cervical lesions, 8 had spinal thoracic lesions and 7 had
spinal lumbar dermatomic lesions. Three (11.5%) patients had motor
involvement (C7 in one and L4-L5 innervated muscles in two). Four
patients (15.3%; symmetric sides of the same dermatome in two and
at different dermatomes in another two) had multiple dermatomal
involvements.
Conclusion: Immunosuppression and advanced ages are known to facilitate
varicella reactivation. By reviewing patients with zona zoster
monitored by our clinic for accompanying conditions, anatomical localizations
and presence of multiple dermatomal involvements, the
present study emphasizes that zona may also cause ‘motor involvement’
besides sensory involvement. Our findings demonstrate that
zona is a complex syndrome which may manifest as varying clinical
presentations.