title: Herpes zoster-associated voiding dysfunction in hematopoietic malignancy patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Voiding dysfunction is a rare but important complication of lumbo-sacral herpes zoster. Although the symptoms are transient, the clinical impact on immunocompromised patients cannot be overlooked.
  
  
  METHODS
  To clarify the time course of voiding dysfunction in herpes zoster, 13 herpes zoster patients with voiding dysfunction were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 13 patients, 12 had background disease, and six of these were hematopoietic malignancies; four of these patients were hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Ten patients had sacral lesions, two had lumbar, and one had thoracic lesions. Interestingly, patients with severe rash, or with hematopoietic malignancy had later onset of urinary retention than did patients with mild skin symptoms (Mann-Whitney U analysis, P = 0.053) or with other background disease (P = 0.0082). Patients with severe skin rash also had longer durations (P = 0.035). In one case, acute urinary retention occurred as late as 19 days after the onset of skin rash.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In immune compromised subjects, attention should be paid to patients with herpes zoster in the lumbo-sacral area for late onset of acute urinary retention even after the resolution of skin symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology and Hematology, Hiroshima Red Cross and Atomic Bomb Survivor's Hospital, and Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University. dermatologist@mac.com
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imafuku
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahara
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uenotsuchi
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwato
authors.forename: Masutaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furue
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053159:Dysuria / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014546:Urinary Catheterization; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir