title: Peculiarities of herpes zoster in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts.
abstract: The aim of five years (2000-2005) study was to investigate the peculiarities of Herpes Zoster in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. For this purpose we have investigated the clinical course of Herpes Zoster, disease duration, complications of disease, as in acute phase as well as postherpetic neuralgia in 74 HIV positive (1st group) and 74 HIV negative (2nd group) groups of patients. In both group of patients we have studied the prevalence of the following complications: 1. Acute complications of Herpes Zoster: a) Neurological: motor neuropathy, cranial neuritis, meningoencephalitis, transverse myelitis. b) Ophthalmic: keratitis, iritis, retinitis, visual impairment c) Cutaneous: bacterial superinfection, scarring, disfigurement. d) Visceral: pneumonitis, hepatitis. e) Multidermatomal. 2. The complications of after resolution of infection: a) Postherpetic neuralgia and various duration of pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia such as : < month, 1-6 months, 6-12 months and >1 year durations. b) Recurrent herpes zoster. Herpes Zoster infection was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and by detection of VZV specific IgM and IgG by ELISA. HIV infection was diagnosed by ELISA method and was confirmed by Western Blot. We found that Herpes Zoster may develop as in HIV positive as well as HIV negative population. Study showed that severe cases of disease (Herpes Zoster), long duration and rate of complications are much higher in HIV/AIDS than in HIV negative group patients. Rate of hospitalization is also higher in HIV/AIDS patients with Herpes Zoster than in HIV negative patients with Herpes Zoster. Frequency of recurrent Herpes Zoster is much higher in HIV/AIDS patients than in HIV negative patients. The postherpetic neuralgia is very frequent complication for both group (HIV positive and HIV negative) Herpes Zoster patients, but its duration longer in HIV/AIDS patients in comparison HIV negative group. There were no significant difference in disease severity, duration and complications among male and female patients.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sharvadze
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsertsvadze
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gochitashvili
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bolokadze
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dolmazashvili
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence