Michael C. Rowbotham, MD California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute Department of Anesthesia, UCSF School of Medicine San Francisco, Calif., USA Email: [email protected] P ostherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is t e most frequent chronic complication of herpes zoster ( hingles). Herpes zoster (HZ) represents a reactivation of the varicella zo ter vi us (VZV), a ubiquitous, highly neurotropic,...

Neuropathic pain is a common symptom in the elderly and tends to increase according frequency of related underlying disease. In older patients, cognitive decline accompanying medical conditions may make early diagnosis difficult. Therefore, detailed history taking, neurological examination, laboratory tests should be performed. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, entrapment radiculopathy, postherpe...

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a virus of the subfamily of Alfavirus responsible for infections with different clinical presentations. Primary infection occurs more frequently in the pediatric age presented as chickenpox. The reactivation of the infection occurs mainly in immunosuppressed patients, in the form of Herpes-Zoster [1]. Varicella-Zoster virus is associated with severe neurologi...