2TEM Hospital, Department of Dermatology ISTANBUL
3University of Medical Sciences ÅžiÅŸli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital Department of Dermatology ISTANBUL Introduction: Herpes Zoster is a skin disease which occurs following the reactivation of varicella zoster virus. Our aim was to investigate the incidence, clinical course and complications of herpes zoster in a geriatric population.
Materials and Method: Geriatric patients with the diagnosis of herpes zoster who admitted to our outpatient clinic during one-year period were recruited to this study. The incidence of patients with herpes zoster was calculated among all patients who admitted to our outpatient clinic. Additionally; age, gender, the presence and duration of prodromal pain, potential triggering factors and complications were noted. The severity of pain was measured with the Visual Analogue Scale.
Results: In total, 3386 geriatric patients were admitted to our dermatology outpatient clinic over the one-year period. Of these, 53 patients (1.56%) were diagnosed with herpes zoster. The highest frequency of herpes zoster was detected in July (3.31%), whereas the lowest frequency was detected in October (0.40%). Prodromal pain was observed in 28 patients (52.8%). The mean Visual Analogue Scale score was 5.98±2.71. There were triggering factors in 41 patients (77.4%). Complications of herpes zoster occurred in seven patients (13.2%). Visual Analogue Scale scores were significantly higher in patients who had prodromal pain (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The presence of prodromal pain in geriatric patients may be highlighted that the disease will be continued with severe pain.
Keywords : Herpes zoster; Geriatrics; Aged