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Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is neuropathic pain that occurs due to damage to a peripheral nerve caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (herpes zoster, also known as shingles). PHN is defined as pain in a dermatomal distribution that lasts for at least 90 days after an outbreak of herpes zoster. [ 1 ]
After it subsides, it stays dormant in nerve cells in the body. It may reactivate under conditions of physiological stress or if the immune system is suppressed in any way (for example during an illness or undergoing chemotherapy), resulting in herpes zoster, also known as shingles or Ramsay Hunt syndrome when facial paralysis in involved. If ...
Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), an alpha-herpesvirus. Initial VZV infection usually occurs in childhood causing chickenpox . After this resolves, the virus is not eliminated from the body, but remains latent in the nerve cell bodies of the dorsal root or trigeminal ganglia , without causing symptoms.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster or zona, [6] is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. [ 2 ] [ 7 ] Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. [ 1 ]
Herpes simplex 1 has a favorite spot: the trigeminal ganglion, a cluster of nerve fibers that sits right behind your face. As it nestles in, herpes goes into stealth mode, known as latency or ...
In about a third of cases, [7] VZV reactivates in later life, producing a disease known as shingles or herpes zoster. The individual lifetime risk of developing herpes zoster is thought to be between 20% and 30%, or approximately 1 in 4 people. However, for people aged 85 and over, this risk increases to 1 in 2. [8]
Preherpetic neuralgia is a form of nerve pain specifically associated with a Shingles (herpes zoster) viral infection. This nerve pain often precedes visible indications of a Shingles infection and consequently can be a key early indicator of a need to begin preventative anti-viral drug therapy.
Shingles symptoms and signs Shingles may start as an itchy, tingling or burning pain on one side of the face or body followed by a blistering, painful red rash two or three days later. Causes of ...