Pharmacologic management of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia

Herpes zoster is an infection caused by reactivation of dormant varicella-zoster virus. The acute course of herpes zoster is generally benign; however, some patients will experience postherpetic neuralgia characterized by severe, relentless, and at times disabling pain that is often refractory to tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCanadian family physician Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 321 - 332
Main Author Mamdani, F S
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Canada College of Family Physicians of Canada 01.02.1994
Subjects
Acyclovir - economics
Acyclovir - therapeutic use
Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use
Algorithms
Analgesics - therapeutic use
Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use
Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use
Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use
Cimetidine - therapeutic use
Clinical Protocols
Drug Costs
Drug Therapy, Combination
Herpes zoster (Shingles)
Herpes Zoster - complications
Herpes Zoster - drug therapy
Herpes Zoster - epidemiology
Humans
Neuralgia - drug therapy
Neuralgia - epidemiology
Neuralgia - microbiology
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Summary:Herpes zoster is an infection caused by reactivation of dormant varicella-zoster virus. The acute course of herpes zoster is generally benign; however, some patients will experience postherpetic neuralgia characterized by severe, relentless, and at times disabling pain that is often refractory to treatment. While herpes zoster responds to acyclovir, cost-benefit considerations limit the drug's usefulness to only a select group. Postherpetic neuralgia requires a holistic approach, including pharmacologic therapy using several different classes of drugs.
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ISSN:0008-350X
1715-5258