title: Acute shingles after resection of thoracic schwannoma.
abstract: Herpes zoster is relatively uncommon after surgery in immunocompetent patients. To our knowledge, there have been no reports of herpes zoster after the resection of a thoracic schwannoma. We report the case of a 48-year-old woman in whom acute shingles developed after the video-assisted thoracic surgical resection of a posterior mediastinal schwannoma adjacent to the 4th thoracic vertebral body. The patient recovered after receiving timely antiviral therapy. Rash and pain are common in patients who have wound infections and contact dermatitis after surgery, so the possible reactivation of varicella virus might not be prominent in the surgeon's mind. This case serves as a reminder that viral infections such as shingles should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postoperative erythema and pain.
authors: Department of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors: Jason L
authors: JL
authors: Muesse
authors: Shanda H
authors: SH
authors: Blackmon
authors: Richard L
authors: RL
authors: Harris
authors: Min P
authors: MP
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents