Seventy-three cases of severe herpes zoster infection admitted to a regional infectious disease unit over a 3-year period were reviewed. Complications were common. Elderly patients were in the majority (55%), were hospitalized for longer and accounted for 78% of all complications. Acyclovir therapy was used in 44 cases with a reduction in both the duration of hospital stay and complication rate.
RagozzinoMW, MeltonLJ, KurlandLT, ChuCP. & PerryHO. Population based study of herpes zoster and its sequelae. Medicine1982; 61: 310–5
2.
RossCAC, BrownWK, ClarkeA. Herpes zoster in clinical practiceJ R Coll Gen Pract1975; 25: 29–32
3.
Hope-SimpsonRE. The nature of herpes zoster: A long term study and a new hypothesis. Proc R Soc Med1965; 58: 9–20
4.
ChangCM, WooYL, HuangCY, ChinD.Herpes zoster and its neurological complications. Postgrad Med J1987; 63: 85–9
5.
DolinR; ReichmanRC, MazurMH, WhitleyRJ. Herpes zoster varicella infections in immunocompromised patients. Ann Intern Med1978; 89: 375–88
6.
WellerTH. Varicella and herpes zoster. Changing concepts of the natural history, control and importance of a not so benign virus. New Engl J Med1983; 309: 1362–8
7.
MazurMH, DolinR.Herpes zoster at the NIH: A 20 year experience. Am J Med1978; 65: 738–44
8.
MillerAE. Selective decline in cellular immune response to varicella-zoster in the elderly. Neurology1980; 30: 582–7
9.
HarnischJP. Zoster in the elderly. Clinical, immunologic and therapeutic considerations. J Am Geriatr Soc1984; 32: 789–93
10.
EsmannV, IpsenJ, PeterslundNA, Seyer-HansenK, SchonheyderH, JuhlH.Therapy of acute herpes zoster and acyclovir in the non-hnmunocompromised host. Am J Med1982; 73: 320–5
11.
FinnR, SmithMA. Oral acyclovir for herpes zoster. Lancet1984; ii: 575