Antiviral therapy has an important role to play in the management of shingles. However, one needs to define clearly when the therapy is effective, who is likely to benefit from it, and whether or not its use can be justified from an economic point of view. Early medical consultation is of paramount importance if the clinical effectiveness and economic benefits from antiviral therapy are to be optimized.
AdourK.K. (1994) Otological complications of herpes zoster. Ann Neurol35 (Suppl.): S62–S64.
2.
BaethgeB.A.KingJ.W.HusainF., and EmbreeL.J. (1989) Case report: herpes zoster myelitis occurring during treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus. Am J Med Sci298: 264–266.
3.
BeutnerK.R.FriedmanD.J.ForszpaniakC.AndersenP.L.WoodM.J., and the International Valacyclovir Zoster Study Group (1995) Improved therapy for herpes zoster in immunocompetent adults: Valaciclovir HCI compared with acyclovir. Antimicrob Agents Chemother (in press).
4.
CoboL.M.FoulksG.N.LiesegangT.LassJ.SutphinJ.E.WilhelmusK.JonesD.B.ChapmanS.SegretiA.C., and KingD.H. (1986) Oral acyclovir in the treatment of acute herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Ophthalmology93: 763–770.
5.
CrooksR.J.JonesD.A., and FiddianA.P. (1991) Zoster-associated chronic pain: an overview of clinical trials with acyclovir. Scand J Infect Dis (Suppl. 80): 62–68.
6.
DaveyP.G., and MalekM. (1994) Defining criteria for the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of new oral cephalosporins. Pharmaco Economics5 (Suppl. 2): 11–19.
7.
DaviesL.CossinsL.BowsherD., and DrummondM. (1994) The cost of treatment for post-herpetic neuralgia in the UK. Pharmaco Economics6 (2): 142–148.
8.
DegreefH., and the Famciclovir Herpes Zoster Clinical Study Group (1994) Famciclovir, a new oral antiherpes drug; results of the first controlled clinical study. Int J Antimicrob Agents4 (Suppl. 4): 241–246.
9.
EasterbrookP., and WoodM.J. (1994) Successors to acyclovir. J Antimicrob Chemother34: 307–311.
10.
ElliotK.J. (1994) Other neurological complications of herpes zoster and their management. Ann Neurol35 (Suppl.): 57–61.
HardingS.P., and PorterS.M. (1991) Oral acyclovir in herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Curr Eye Res10: 177–182.
13.
HodgsonT.A. (1994) Cost of illness in cost-effectiveness analysis. PharmacoEconomics6(6): 536–552.
14.
Hope-SimpsonR.E. (1965) The nature of herpes zoster. A long term study and a new hypothesis. Proc R Soc Med58: 9–20.
15.
HuffJ.C.BeanB.BalfourH.H.JrLaskinO.L.ConnorJ.D.CoreyL.BrysonY.J., and McGuirtP. (1988) Therapy of herpes zoster with oral acyclovir. Am J Med85 (Suppl. 2A): 84–89.
16.
HuffJ.C.DruckerA.ClemmerO.L.LaskinO.L.ConnorJ.D.BrysonY.J., and BalfourH.H.Jr (1993) Effect of oral acyclovir on pain resolution in herpes zoster: a reanalysis. J Med Virol (Suppl. 1): 93–96.
17.
McGillJ.I., and WhyteJ.E. (1994) Acyclovir and post-herpetic neuralgia and ocular involvement. Br Med J309: 1124–1125.
18.
McKendrickM.W.McGillJ.I.WhiteJ.E., and WoodM.J. (1986) Oral acyclovir in acute herpes zoster. Br Med J293: 1529–1532.
19.
MillerE.MarshallR., and VurdienJ. (1993) Epidemiology, outcome and control of varicella-zoster infection. Rev Med Microbiol4: 222–230.
20.
MortonP., and ThomsonA.N. (1989) Oral acyclovir in the treatment of herpes zoster in general practice. N Z Med J102: 93–95.
21.
NathwaniD.MacDonaldT., and DaveyP. (1995) Cost-effectiveness of acyclovir for varicella infections in immunocompetent patients - a British perspective. Inf Dis Clin Pract (in press).
22.
PatrickD.L., and EricksonP. (1993) Health status and health policy: quality of life in health care evaluation and resource allocation. New York: Oxford University Press.
23.
WoodM.J.OganP.H.McKendrickM.W.CareC.D.McGillJ.I., and WebbE.M. (1988) Efficacy of oral acyclovir treatment of acute herpes zoster. Am J Med85 (Suppl. 2A): 79–83.
24.
WoolfC.J., and ThompsonS.W.N. (1991) The induction and maintenance of central sensitization is dependent on N-methyl-aspartic acid receptor activation: implications for the treatment of post-injury pain hypersensitivity states. Pain44: 293–299.
