Herpes zoster (HZ) exists widely in China and most cases occur among old people, but no epidemiology information of HZ was available. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology characteristics of HZ among adults aged 50 and over in Guangdong, China. A total of 34 counties/districts were randomly selected in Guangdong, and 7149 residents aged 50 and over were investigated by local CDC professional...

Acyclovir treatment of acute herpes zoster speeds rash healing and decreases pain and ocular complications. The limited oral bioavailability of acyclovir necessitates frequent dosing. Valaciclovir, the l-valyl ester of acyclovir, is rapidly and almost completely converted to acyclovir in vivo and gives three- to fivefold increases in acyclovir bioavailability. In a randomized, double-blind, mul...

Aim: The causative agent of herpes zoster (HZ) is the reactivated varicella-zoster virus. HZ leads to severe and painful rashes that can be accompanied by long-term pain, i.e., postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). According International Association for Study Pain (IASP), post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) defined as “recurrent or persistent along thoracotomy incision at least two months after surg...

BACKGROUND The herpes zoster vaccine is effective in preventing herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in immunocompetent older adults. However, its safety has not been described in depth. OBJECTIVE To describe local adverse effects and short- and long-term safety profiles of herpes zoster vaccine in immunocompetent older adults. DESIGN Randomized, placebo-controlled trial with enrollment...

Since the release of amantadine in 1966, other agents designed to fight a diverse range of viral infections have been released. Part I of this two-part article focuses on agents used to manage hepatitis, cytomegalovirus, and herpes infections. In patients with chronic hepatitis B, interferon alfa-2b or lamivudine is the treatment of choice. Pegylated interferon alfa-2a or -2b, along with ribavi...

PURPOSE Lidocaine patch 5% is recommended as a first-line therapy for postherpetic neuralgia pain in neuropathic pain guidelines. Postherpetic neuralgia can occur anywhere on the body but often follows acute herpes zoster occurring in trigeminal and brachial plexus dermatomes. An analysis was conducted to determine whether the anatomic location of lidocaine patch 5% is associated with variation...

SUMMARY Herpes Zoster Cephalicus or Ramsey-Hunt syndrome is second only to Bells palsy as the most common cause of acute facial paralysis. The varicclla zoster virus is thought to be responsible for this syndrome; Involvement or the racial and auditory nerve. In this article, a patient who was admitted with vesticular eruption of the external car with facial paralysis, and auditory symptoms i...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the paper was to explore the relationship between herpes zoster and pyogenic liver abscesses in Taiwan. METHODS This was a nationwide cohort study. Using the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program, there were 33049 subjects aged 20-84 years who were newly diagnosed with herpes zoster from 1998 to 2010 that were selected for our study, and they were o...

BACKGROUND Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, results from reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus in the sensory ganglia of adults, and results in significant morbidity in the elderly, including the development of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The lifetime risk of HZ is about 20-30% and the incidence increases with age. The protective effect of the HZ vaccine has been shown in a large cli...