Multiple neurologic complications may follow the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), including herpes zoster (also known as zoster or shingles), postherpetic neuralgia, vasculopathy, myelitis, necrotizing retinitis, and zoster sine herpete (pain without rash). These conditions can be difficult to recognize, especially as several can occur without rash.

The leading scientific, neuroscientific and pharmacological literature was searched to gain insights into the role of central learning, memory formation, and synaptic field plasticity circuits down to neuronal subunit domains, and into their possible involvement during and after the recurrence of postherpetic neuralgia due to varicella zoster virus in the elderly, as a basis of innovative thera...

Narrative: Neuropathic pain, when the pain generator is the nerve itself, occurs in a variety of conditions including diabetes mellitus and postherpetic neuropathy. The exact mechanism of action for these conditions is unclear. Some speculate that aberrant nerve signal modulation may be a culprit, which would explain why neuropathic pain rarely responds adequately to traditional analgesics, and...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox and herpes zoster. Herpes zoster is a common infection in older adults and can lead to potentially debilitating postherpetic neuralgia. This article reviews the diagnosis and management of herpes zoster, including strategies to reduce disease frequency and severity with the herpes zoster vaccine.

Capsaicin is a naturally occurring irritant active ingredient found in hot peppers. It is a ligand for transient receptor potential channel vanilloid receptors, which are found in nociceptive nerve terminals in the skin. Initial exposure to topical capsaicin leads to excitation of these receptors, release of vasoactive mediators, erythema, intense burning, pain, and thereafter desensitization o...

INTRODUCTION Herpes zoster is a well-known reactivating viral disease that gives rise to painful skin lesions. Although this vesicular rash heals up within a few weeks, pain sometimes continues, becoming postherpetic neuralgia. In the case of those at high risk of developing postherpetic neuralgia, early interventional pain management is generally recommended as a preventive measure. Pain speci...

The most common complication of herpes zoster in immunocompetent patients is postherpetic neuralgia, which is very difficult to treat. Significant beneficial effects have been found for amitriptyline, gabapentin, pregabalin, carbamazepine, sodium valproate, oxycodone, corticosteroid, topical capsaicin, tramadol, etc. The aim of this open randomized comparative study was to demonstrate clinical ...