Cancer Res Treat.  2009 Mar;41(1):50-52.

Herpes Zoster Duplex Bilateralis in a Patient with Breast Cancer

• Yoo KH
• Park JH
• Kim BJ
• Kim MN
• Song KY

Abstract

The skin lesion of herpes zoster is classically limited to a single dermatome, and most cases of multi-dermatomal herpes zoster have contiguous skin lesions. Noncontigous multi-dermatomal herpes zoster is very rare in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed persons. The phenomenon of zoster occurring in two non-contiguous dermatomes has been referred to as zoster duplex unilateralis or bilateralis. We report here on a case of herpes zoster duplex bilateralis in a 49-year-old woman who had previously received chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment.

Keyword

Herpes zoster; Breast neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Female
Herpes Zoster
Humans
Middle Aged
Skin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The grouped erythematous vesicles on the left anterior chest (Lt. T4) and both upper back areas (Rt. T4).

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  Fig. 2 Intraepidermal blisters with ballooning degeneration, reticular degeneration, characteristic intranuclear inclusion bodies and acantholytic multinucleated giant cells (H&E, A:×100, B:×200).

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  Fig. 3 PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) for varicella-zoster virus showing a positive band of 208 bp.

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