[Clinical investigation of 200 patients with acute herpes zoster--factor influencing treatment of herpetic pain].
Two hundred patients were treated by various nerve blocks with (A; 100 cases) or without (B; 100 cases) acyclovir (ACV) for acute herpes zoster, and studied retrospectively to determine the factors influencing the duration of pain. All patients started to receive the treatment within 2 weeks after manifestation of herpetic rash, and were divided equally into two groups by the severity of pain. The severe (I) and moderate (II) pain groups had similar locations of skin lesions. Group I had significantly larger population of the aged, and higher proportion of patients who had preherpetic pain than group II. The period of pain was significantly longer in group I B than group I A, in group II B than group II A, in group I A than group II A and in group I B than group II B. However, distribution of the rash, age and occurrence of preherpetic pain were not related to the duration of pain in the groups with the same degree of pain and treatment. These results showed that ACV was effective in inflammatory pain and accelerated healing in the acute phase of herpes zoster. The severity of pain had the greatest influence on the duration of pain. The age and preherpetic pain closely correlated with the severity of pain.
Murakawa
K
K
Ishimoto
E
E
Noma
K
K
Kono
K
K
Ishida
H
H
Izumi
R
R
D000208:Acute Disease; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000628:therapy; D059408:Pain Management; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000212:Acyclovir