Retrospective evaluation of patients with herpes zoster followed up in our department between 1999-2010

Background and Design: Herpes zoster is a common viral disease of the nervous system. Although the annual incidence is 1.5-3/1000, this rate increases after 75 years of age. Seasonal factors are estimated to affect the incidence rate of the disease as well. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients diagnosed with herpes zoster and to explore the similarities and differences with other epidemiological studies from Turkey and the world. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 312 patients diagnosed with herpes zoster and followed up in the Duzce University Medical Faculty Dermatology Department between January 1999 and December 2010. Results: Herpes zoster patients comprised 0.56% of all patients who presented to our department. Their ages ranged from 6 months to 87 years (mean age: 49.6, median age: 53). The number of women and men was almost equal. Admissions were higher in January and December, with thoracic involvement being the most frequent one. Zoster was not a precursor of any occult malignancies. The most common associated systemic disease was cardiovascular disease. Pediatric cases comprised 7.4% of cases. Complications developed in 21.4% of patients. The most common complication was postherpetic neuralgia. Discussion: There are only a few studies from our country on the epidemiology of herpes zoster. We observed that our findings were more or less similar to the findings of the literature data. However, unlike in other studies, in our study, the most common associated systemic disease was cardiovascular disease. It is thought that this is because this kind of chronic stressor weakens humoral and cellular immunity We think that similar studies from different regions of our country are necessary to demonstrate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease more clearly. (Turkderm 2012; 46: 186-90)