title: Incidence of herpes zoster ophthalmicus: results from the Pacific Ocular Inflammation Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a population-based estimate of the incidence of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) with comparisons across racial, sex, and age groups, as well as to estimate the frequency of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, population-based cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii health plan during the study period (N = 217 061).
  
  
  METHODS
  All patient encounters between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007, in the electronic medical record of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii were queried for International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition (ICD-9) codes corresponding to HZO. Charts were reviewed to confirm a diagnosis of HZO and to collect information about specific ocular manifestations. Demographic data and information on PHN were collected electronically. Incidence rates were calculated per 100 000 person-years for the entire population and for age-, sex-, and race-specific subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical diagnosis of HZO during the study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 134 cases of HZO were identified in this population of 217 061 people. The overall incidence was 30.9 per 100 000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 25.9-36.6). The incidence rate for the population aged ≥65 years was 104.6 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 79.0-135.9), approximately 5 times the remainder of the population (P < 0.001). The most common manifestation of HZO was dermatitis, followed by keratitis and conjunctivitis. The incidence of HZO for Pacific Islanders was 19.0 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 12.4-28.3), which was significantly lower than the rate for non-Pacific Islanders (P = 0.007). Twenty-one percent of patients with HZO developed PHN. Older age and HZO with keratitis, conjunctivitis, or uveitis were found to be risk factors for PHN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a population-based estimate of HZO and highlights differences across various age and racial groups. It also suggests that demographic characteristics may be useful in determining the risk of developing HZO.
authors.affiliation: F. I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Durga S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Borkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kaiser Permanente Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: Vivien M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Tham
authors.affiliation: F. I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esterberg
authors.affiliation: F. I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Kathryn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: Aleli C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vinoya
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: John V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: Aileen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.affiliation: F. I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: nisha.acharya@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Nisha R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Acharya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006563:Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult