Herpes zoster
Alternative Names
ShinglesSymptoms
- Warning symptoms of unilateral (on one side) pain, tingling, or burning sensation limited to a specific part of the body -- pain and burning sensation may be intense
- Reddening of the skin (erythema) followed by the appearance of blisters (vesicles)
- Grouped, dense, deep, small blisters that ooze and crust
- Fever, chills
- General feeling of malaise
- Headache
- Lymph node swelling
- Vision abnormalities
- Taste abnormalities
- Drooping eyelid (ptosis)
- Loss of eye motion (ophthalmoplegia)
- Hearing loss
- Joint pain
- Genital lesions (female or male)
- Abdominal pain
Exams and Tests
Diagnosis is suspected based on the appearance of the skin lesions, and strengthened by a prior history of chickenpox or shingles. It can be confused with herpes simplex.
Tests are rarely necessary, but may include:
- Viral culture of skin lesion
- Tzanck test of skin lesion
- Complete blood count (CBC) may show elevated white blood cells, a nonspecific sign of infection
- Specific antibody (immunoglobulin) measurement demonstrates elevation of varicella antibodies
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