Sir, Post-marketing surveillance (PMS) supplies important information on the pro® t ± risk evaluation of a drug after its approval. Its importance derives from the fact that it is carried out in routine clinical everyday life and without the patient and investigator selection biases that result from controlled clinical studies. Herpes zoster is a common disease that affects up to 20% of the pop...

BACKGROUND Varicella-zoster virus, a member of the herpes virus family, is a neurotrophic virus that primarily affects afferent sensory neurons. Reactivation of latent virus within the dorsal root ganglion and axoplasmic transport to epithelial nerve terminals causes the segmental cutaneous rash and neuralgic pain characteristic of herpes zoster. SETTING Outpatient orthopedic practice. CASE...

Evidence-based strategies for the management of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) include the use of antiviral agents in acute zoster and specific analgesics in PHN. Antiviral agents are effective in reducing the severity and duration of acute herpes zoster when given within 72 hours of rash onset, but they do not prevent PHN. Anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, an...

INTRODUCTION Simultaneous involvements of multiple cranial nerve ganglia (geniculate ganglion and peripheral ganglia of cranial nerves VIII, IX and X) by varicella-zoster virus and its subsequent activation may result in the characteristic eruptions of herpes zoster cephalicus. Coexistence of facial palsy and involvement of upper cervical dermatomes by varicella-zoster virus is quite rare. CA...

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a member of the Herpesviridae family, which causes varicella (chicken pox) and herpes zoster (shingles) in humans. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of varicella-zoster virus, isolated from a vesicular fluid sample, revealing the circulation of VZV clade VIII in Mexico.

Herpes zoster-associated urinary retention is an uncommon event related to virus infection of the S2-S4 dermatome. The possible major reasons are ipsilateral hemicystitis, neuritis-induced or myelitis-associated virus infection. We report a case of a 65-year-old immunocompetent female patient who presented an acute urinary retention after four days under treatment with valacyclovir for gluteal ...

The subclass specificities of antiviral immunoglobulin G (IgG) produced in response to herpes simplex and varicella-zoster virus infections were investigated. IgG1 and IgG3 with anti-herpes simplex virus activity were seen in patients with primary and reactivated disease, as well as in healthy seropositive subjects and in immunoglobulin preparations. IgG4 was occasionally seen alone or together...

Varicella-zoster virus is a member of the Herpesviridae family. It can cause chickenpox and Herpes zoster infection (shingles). The latter is an acute, cutaneous infection caused by reactivation of a primary varicella infection upon decline in the virus-specific and cell-mediated immunity. Herpes zoster Infection is a serious infection in immune compromised patients. Predisposing factors includ...

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human alphaherpesvirus that infects sensory ganglia and reactivates from latency to cause herpes zoster. VZV replication was examined in human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) xenografts in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency using multiscale correlative immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. These experiments showed the presence of VZV genomic DNA, viral...

BACKGROUND The authors sought to monitor the impact of widespread varicella vaccination on the epidemiology of varicella and herpes zoster. While varicella incidence would be expected to decrease, mathematical models predict an initial increase in herpes zoster incidence if re-exposure to varicella protects against reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. METHODS In 1998-2003, as varicella...