POSTHERPETIC NEURALGIA

Course overview

POST-HERPETIC NEURALGIA (PHN) IS THE MOST COMMON LONG-TERM COMPLICATION OF VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS (VZV) REACTIVATION. THIS REACTIVATION OF THE DORMANT VZV IS KNOWN AS HERPES ZOSTER OR SHINGLES. VZV IS THE PATHOGEN THAT CAUSES THE ONCE COMMON CHILDHOOD CONDITION VARICELLA, COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS CHICKENPOX. BEFORE THE ADVENT OF VACCINATION IN THE LATE 1990S AND EARLY 2000S, UPWARD OF 90% OF AMERICAN ADULTS WOULD TEST SEROPOSITIVE FOR VZV. ALTHOUGH THIS NUMBER AND THE PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS WHO GO ON TO DEVELOP HERPES ZOSTER AND PHN MAY DECREASE IN THE COMING GENERATIONS, PHN IS CURRENTLY A TOPIC OF CLINICAL IMPORTANCE. THIS ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE AWARENESS AMONGST HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TEAMS IN REGARDS TO APPROPRIATE VACCINATION AND TREATMENT.