Herpes zoster as a useful clinical marker of underlying cell-mediated immune disorders.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to determine the necessity of further evaluation of patients presented with herpes zoster (HZ) to the Emergency Department for the underlying decreased cell-mediated immunity.


METHODS
The data of 132 adult patients presenting with HZ to the Emergency Department were collected from the computerised database of Akdeniz University Hospital. The following data were recorded: demographic data and underlying diseases during onset of HZ and laboratory results (white blood cell counts, blood glucose levels).


RESULTS
There were 132 patients with HZ in the study period. The mean age of patients was 52.98 +/- 18.91 years (range, 14 to 96) and 53% (70 patients) were male. Of the study patients, 70.5% (93 patients) were over 45 years old. Eight (6.1%) patients had been diagnosed to have a malignancy, 18 (13.6%) had diabetes mellitus and 3 (2.3%) patients had undergone organ transplantation during their admission. Malignancy, diabetes mellitus and organ transplantation prevalence in the HZ group was significantly higher than the whole Emergency Department population.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate a relationship between the presence of HZ and increasing age and cell-mediated immunosuppressive disorders in Emergency Department patients over the age of 45 years. HZ should be considered as a clinical marker of cell-mediated immunosuppressive disorders, particularly in elderly patients.
Soyuncu
Secgin
S
Department of Emergency Medicine, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, 07059 Antalya, Turkey. ssoyuncu@akdeniz.edu.tr
Berk
Yeliz
Y
Eken
Cenker
C
Gulen
Bedia
B
Oktay
Cem
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015994:Incidence; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents