Frequency and Pattern of Herpes Zoster at Liaquat UniversityHospital Hyderabad (Six months hospital based descriptive study)
Year: 2009
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and pattern of herpes zoster at Liaquat University
Hospital, Hyderabad.
PATIEHTS AND METHODS: This hospital based descriptive study of six months was carried out
at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad (Sindh) Pakistan; from March 2008 to August 2008. All
patients who were above 12 years of age, attended the dermatology OPD and were diagnosed
as cases of Herpes Zoster were evaluated and enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was established
by history and relevant clinical examination. The data were collected on pre-designed
proforma, saved and analyzed in SPSS version 10.00. The frequency and percentage of herpes
zoster was calculated by detecting the number of positive cases while the pattern was assessed
through prodromal, presenting symptoms, dermatome involved and observation of certain complications.
RESULT: One hundred and ten patients were diagnosed as herpes zoster infection with mean
age 38.9±10.79 years. Majority (80%) of the patients was presented in the Department of Dermatology
and 76% were males. The most common prodromal symptom was paresthesia in 40 patients,
itching in 35 patients, fever and headache in 20 patients, tingling in 15 patients, watering
from eyes in 12 patients and burning in 10 patients. The dermatomes involved were thoracic in
78 patients, trigeminal nerve in 12 patients, lumber in 10 patients, cervical in 08 patients, and
sacral in 02 patients. The complications seen were secondary infection in 42 (38%) patients,
scarring in 18 (16%) patients, and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) in 15 (14%) patients.
CONCLUSION: Herpes zoster is a common viral infection and can be prevented when necessary
by patient isolation and passive prophylaxis with varicella-zoster immune globulin. An experimental
live vaccine also prevents varicella, but problems regarding its virulence for immunosuppressed
patients and the durability of the protective response are still being addressed.
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $150
OpenAlex ID: W2188450130