Retrospective evaluation of the patients with herpes zoster followed in our clinic for between 1999 and 2010 years

Aim: Herpes zoster, or shingles, is a cutaneous disease caused by the reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) dormant in cranial nerve or dorsal root ganglia. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical and demographic characteristics of Herpes zoster.Methods: We reviewed the records of 312 patients with herpes zoster who were followed up in Düzce Medical Faculty Dermatology Department between January 1999 and December 2010 retrospectively.Results: Herpes zoster patients comprised 0.006 percent of all patients who attended the clinic during the study period. Their ages ranged from 7 month to 87 years and the mean age was 49,6 with the median age of 53. Frequency of Herpes zoster in man and woman patients was found nearly equal (155/157). In January and December, more patients attended our clinic for Herpes zoster.Discussion and Conclusion: Similar to the literature in our study, gender differenceswere not detected in patients with herpes zoster, showed an increase with age inboth sexes, increase in the incidence of herpes zoster was found in summer andautumn months and the most frequently observed in thoracic involvement. Unlike theliteratüre, the right half of the body's involvement was more, low rate of malignancywas found, post-herpetic neuralgia patients' mean age was lower, secondary infectionrate was higher and none of the ocular complications were observed in patients withherpes zoster ophthalmicus. Similar studies need to be observed for the completedescription of demographic and clinical characteristics anf more accurate observationof the effects of seasonal factors on disease.