title: Epidemiological Study on the Incidence of Herpes Zoster in Nearby Cheonan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herpes Zoster is a disease that occurs after the virus is reactivated due to infection of the varicella virus in childhood. Risk factors are advanced age, malignant neoplasm, organ transplantation, immunosuppressive agents taking are known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the seasonal effect and other risk factors on the incidence of herpes zoster.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 1,105 patients admitted to the outpatient diagnosed with herpes zoster were retrospectively examined. The patients' sex, age, dermatome, onset, underlying disease, residential areas were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of women outnumbered men and increased for those above the age of 50. The number of occurrences of herpes zoster patients was higher in the spring and summer than in winter. Unlike men, women had the most frequent outbreaks in March. The most common occurrence of dermatome is in the thoracic region. The number of occurrence was similar on the left as the right.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, herpes zoster occurs more often in women than in men and more frequently occurs in women in the spring and summer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Ku
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sie Hyeon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yoo
keywords: Age; Epidemiology; Herpes zoster; Incidence; Seasons; Sex