Chaitanya Namdeo1 , Kailash Bhatia2 , Deepa Saini3 , Pravesh Yadav4 , Sumit Chauhan5
BACKGROUND Herpes zoster is a viral infection which occurs as a result of reactivation of varicella zoster virus lying dormant in dorsal root and cranial nerve ganglia. The complications can be severe. The pattern and complications keep changing in the population due to various factors like immunosuppression and comorbidities. We planned to study the clinical characteristics, complications, and risk factors in patients of herpes zoster. METHODS This was a prospective, hospital based, observational study involving 170 clinically diagnosed patients of herpes zoster. A detailed clinical evaluation regarding the demography, segment of involvement, pattern of lesions, risk factors, and complications was performed and recorded. Data was coded and entered in SPSS version 16. Qualitative data was expressed in proportions / percentage. Chi-square test and t - test were applied wherever applicable. A p - value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Male to female ratio was 2.1 : 1. Maximum cases were seen in the age group of 51 - 60 years (22.9 %), followed by 31 - 40 and 61 - 70 (18.8 % each). Left side involvement was more common. Pain in the affected dermatome was the most common prodromal symptom. Fever and myalgia were the most commonly reported constitutional symptoms. Only 80 patients had past history of varicella. Thoracic dermatomes were the most commonly involved followed by cranial, cervical, lumbar and sacral dermatomes. Fourty eight patients had associated risk factors for herpes zoster infection. Complications secondary to herpes zoster infection developed in 40 patients. Patients who developed complications had a significantly higher mean age than those who didn’t. CONCLUSIONS Herpes zoster was seen more commonly in males. Most commonly affected age group was 51 - 60 years. Thoracic dermatomes were most commonly involved. Risk factors were seen in 28.2 % patients. Complications were seen in 23.5 % patients including post herpetic neuralgia in 14.2 % patients. Patients of higher age group are at higher risk of complications.
