title: Cutaneous herpes zoster.
abstract: Cutaneous herpes zoster is a benign, localized painful skin lesion, more common in the elderly and immunocompromised population across the globe. It is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus lying dormant in the dorsal root ganglion. Although self-limiting in nature, it can cause protean complications in the vulnerable patient. The advent of antiviral therapy and an FDA-approved vaccine has reduced the morbidity of the disease considerably. However, focused research on the disease-modulating factors and prevention in the immunocompromised are still issues that warrant research. The current understanding of cutaneous herpes zoster and its pathogenesis, complications, and management are discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: BLK Super Speciality Hospital, Pusa Road, New Delhi, 110005, India, sharmila.sengupta1211@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sharmila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengupta
references.citation: Trop Med Int Health. 1998 Nov;3(11):886-90
references.pmid: 9855401
references.citation: CMAJ. 2011 Mar 22;183(5):E275-80
references.pmid: 21343261
references.citation: Arch Dermatol. 2008 May;144(5):603-8
references.pmid: 18490586
references.citation: Am J Med. 1980 Dec;69(6):881-5
references.pmid: 7446553
references.citation: BMJ. 2005 Jul 16;331(7509):147-51
references.pmid: 16020856
references.citation: Toxicol Lett. 2001 Jan 3;118(3):121-7
references.pmid: 11137318
references.citation: Indian Pediatr. 2000 Jul;37(7):714-9
references.pmid: 10906803
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1997 Aug 1;127(3):210-6
references.pmid: 9245227
references.citation: Cancer Invest. 2001;19(1):13-22
references.pmid: 11291551
references.citation: Cleve Clin J Med. 2009 Jan;76(1):45-8
references.pmid: 19122110
references.citation: Clin Infect Dis. 2006 Nov 15;43(10):1301-3
references.pmid: 17051496
references.citation: Biken J. 1980 Sep;23(3):157-61
references.pmid: 6257228
references.citation: J Hosp Infect. 1992 Feb;20(2):125-6
references.pmid: 1348758
references.citation: Int J Dermatol. 1994 Apr;33(4):227-32
references.pmid: 8021075
references.citation: J Clin Virol. 2010 May;48 Suppl 1:S2-7
references.pmid: 20510263
references.citation: Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010 May 1;67(9):724-7
references.pmid: 20410546
references.citation: Mayo Clin Proc. 2009 Mar;84(3):274-80
references.pmid: 19252116
references.citation: Am J Med. 1965 Sep;39:452-63
references.pmid: 14338296
references.citation: Int J Epidemiol. 2006 Apr;35(2):307-14
references.pmid: 16330478
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1984 Nov 22;311(21):1362-4
references.pmid: 6092956
references.citation: Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Dec 15;57(8):1431-8
references.pmid: 18050184
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2000 Sep;38(9):3187-9
references.pmid: 10970354
references.citation: Br J Clin Pract. 1990 Jul;44(7):284-5
references.pmid: 2206828
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 2008 Mar 1;197 Suppl 2:S61-5
references.pmid: 18419411
references.citation: Lancet. 2002 Aug 31;360(9334):678-82
references.pmid: 12241874
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1980 Sep;93(3):414-9
references.pmid: 6254415
references.citation: Herpes. 2007 Sep;14 Suppl 2:25-9
references.pmid: 17939892
references.citation: Ann Rheum Dis. 1990 Aug;49(8):630-3
references.pmid: 2168693
references.citation: Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1998 Dec;22(9):1927-42
references.pmid: 9884135
references.citation: Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 1994 Oct;105(2):107-21
references.pmid: 7920011
references.citation: Environ Health Perspect. 1999 Oct;107(10):835-41
references.pmid: 10504152
references.citation: J Clin Virol. 2003 Apr;26(3):277-89; discussion 291-3
references.pmid: 12637076
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 2007 Oct 1;196(7):1014-20
references.pmid: 17763323
references.citation: Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Jan 1;44 Suppl 1:S1-26
references.pmid: 17143845
references.citation: JAMA. 1970 Mar 16;211(11):1831-3
references.pmid: 4313291
references.citation: JAMA. 2011 Apr 20;305(15):1526
references.pmid: 21505126
references.citation: Arch Intern Med. 1995 Aug 7-21;155(15):1605-9
references.pmid: 7618983
references.citation: J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2012 Sep;26(9):1127-32
references.pmid: 21923837
references.citation: Infection. 2008 Jun;36(3):226-30
references.pmid: 18454342
references.citation: Am J Med. 2005 Dec;118(12):1416
references.pmid: 16378799
references.citation: J Gen Intern Med. 2005 Aug;20(8):748-53
references.pmid: 16050886
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 1;347(5):340-6
references.pmid: 12151472
references.citation: J Clin Virol. 2010 May;48 Suppl 1:S20-8
references.pmid: 20510264
references.citation: Cleve Clin J Med. 2007 Jul;74(7):489-94, 496, 498-9 passim
references.pmid: 17682626
references.citation: Adv Virus Res. 1996;46:263-309
references.pmid: 8824702
references.citation: Pain. 2004 Jul;110(1-2):329-36
references.pmid: 15275783
references.citation: J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999 Jul;41(1):1-14; quiz 15-6
references.pmid: 10411403
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Jul 22;100(15):9090-5
references.pmid: 12840146
references.citation: Infect Control. 1986 Feb;7(2):71-2
references.pmid: 3007385
references.citation: Clin Infect Dis. 2000 Aug;31(2):578-85
references.pmid: 10987724
references.citation: Neurol Clin. 2008 Aug;26(3):675-97, viii
references.pmid: 18657721
references.citation: Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2004 Dec;15(6):531-6
references.pmid: 15523199
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1999 Jun 1;130(11):922-32
references.pmid: 10375341
references.citation: J Virol. 2005 Mar;79(5):2651-8
references.pmid: 15708984
references.citation: Lancet Infect Dis. 2004 Jan;4(1):26-33
references.pmid: 14720565
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 1998 Nov;178 Suppl 1:S52-4
references.pmid: 9852974
references.citation: Scand J Infect Dis. 2002;34(2):112-4
references.pmid: 11928840
references.citation: JAMA. 2006 Jul 12;296(2):157-8
references.pmid: 16835412
references.citation: Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2010 Apr;10(4):631-8
references.pmid: 20113211
references.citation: Herpes. 2007 Sep;14 Suppl 2:35-9
references.pmid: 17939894
references.citation: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Dec;57(6 Suppl):S130-5
references.pmid: 18021864
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2006 Dec;44(12):4441-3
references.pmid: 17035500
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1991 Jul 1;115(1):19-21
references.pmid: 1646585