Posttraumatic herpes zoster
R. S. Stahl and W. H. Frazier
Musculoskeletal trauma and its sequelae account for a large proportion of
visits to acute health care facilities and practitioners of multiple
medical specialties. There is a long-recognized association of
posttraumatic pain with herpes zoster and three illustrative cases were
encountered. Simple bony, nerve root, or soft-tissue abnormality may be
mimicked by various stages of such processes. Serial observations are
emphasized and proposed pathophysiology and therapy reviewed. Studies of
acute and convalescent complement fixation titers and viral cultures of
vesicular fluid in such cases would be of further interest.
