Korean J Dermatol.
1994 Apr;32(2):286-293.
A Clinical Study of Herpes Zoster During the Last 10 Years
Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is characterized by vesicular skin lesions over the unilateral sensory dermatomes being caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus and its incidence seems to be increasing recently.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiology and the clinical characteristics of herpes zoster.
METHODS
The authors observed 877 cases of herpes zoster clinically for annual incidence, age, sex, monthly distribution, predilection site, associated disease, and complications at the Department of Dermatology in Chung-Ang University Hospital during a 10 years period(1982.9-1992.8).
RESULTS
1) The annual incidence averaged over 10 years was 2.26%(877 cases of total 38.717 outpatients) being on the increase recently. 2) The age distribution was in the range of 2-86 years old being most prevalent in the 6th decade and there was equal sex ratio(444:433). 3) There was no statistically significant monthly or seasonal variation in the incidence of herpes zoster. 4) The most common anatomical distribution was thoracic dermatome(51.7%), followed by trigeminal(17.1%), cervical(16.1%), lumbar (10.6%), sacral(1.4%)and multiple deramatomic involvement(3.1%). Left or right side was affected in about the same ratio(439:437), and bilateral involvement was in 1 case. 5) Associated disease of herpes zoster were observed in 210 patients(23.9%) ; hypertension(7.0%), diabetes mellitus(4.1%), tuberculosis(1.8%), postoperative status(0.7%), malignancy(0.7%), gastric ulcer(0.7%), and so on, 6) The most common complication of herpes zoster was postherpetic neuralgia(7.4%), followed by eye complication(2.1%), bacterial infection(1.4%), scar formation(0.7%), neurogenic bladder(0.2%), Ramsay-Hunt syndrome(0.2%), motor paralysis(0.1%), herpes zoster generalisatus(0.1%) 7) The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia increased with age and was highest in trigeminal dermatome. 8) Recurrence of herpes zoster was observed in 4 patients(0.5%).
CONCLUSION
According to this study, the annual incidence of herpes zoster showed a tendency to increase recently but there was no significant monthly or seasonal variation. The anatomical distribution was most commom on the thoracic dermatome. The incidenc of postherpetic neuralgia increased with age being most common in trigeminal nerve.
