Herpes zoster (HZ), commonly called shingles, is a distinctive syndrome caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). This reactivation occurs when immunity to VZV declines because of aging or immunosuppression. Herpes zoster can occur at any age but most commonly affects the elderly population. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), defined as pain persisting more than 3 months after the rash has healed, is a debilitating and difficult to manage consequence of HZ. The diagnosis of HZ is usually made clinically on the basis of the characteristic appearance of the rash. Early recognition and treatment can reduce acute symptoms and may also reduce PHN. A live, attenuated vaccine aimed at boosting immunity to VZV and reducing the risk of HZ is now available and is recommended for adults older than 60 years. The vaccine has been shown to reduce significantly the incidence of both HZ and PHN. The vaccine is well tolerated, with minor local injection site reactions being the most common adverse event. This review focuses on the clinical manifestations and treatment of HZ and PHN, as well as the appropriate use of the HZ vaccine. © 2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and ResearchOn completion of this article, you should be able to (1) recognize the common presentation of herpes zoster, (2) summarize appropriate treatment for acute herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia, and (3) select patients for whom herpes zoster vaccine is appropriate.H erpes zoster (HZ), commonly called shingles from the Latin cingulum, meaning belt, 1 is a distinctive syndrome caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). The risk of HZ increases with age; approximately half of all cases occur in persons older than 60 years. One of the most common and debilitating sequelae of HZ is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), defined as pain persisting more than 3 months after the rash has healed. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND DIAGNOSISHerpes zoster is a painful, blistering skin eruption in a dermatomal distribution. After primary infection with varicella (ie, chicken pox), the virus persists asymptomatically in the ganglia of sensory cranial nerves and spinal dorsal root ganglia. As cellular immunity to VZV decreases with age or because of immunosuppression, the virus reactivates and travels along the sensory nerves to the skin, causing the distinctive prodromal pain followed by eruption of the rash. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 3 people will develop HZ during their lifetime, resulting in an estimated 1 million episodes in the United States annually. 2 Herpes zoster can occur at any age but is generally less severe in children and young adults, with the greatest morbidity and mortality seen in older adults and in immunocompromised patients. A recent population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, found that the incidence of HZ was 3.6 per 1000 patientyears. 3 In that study, the incidence of HZ and the rate of HZassociated complications increased with age, with 68% of cases occurring in those aged 50 years and older. Prodromal...

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Objectives To determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of cutaneous nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection during the past 30 years and whether the predominant species have changed. Patients and Methods Using Rochester Epidemiology Project data, we identified Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with cutaneous NTM infections between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2009, examining the incidence of infection, patient demographic and clinical features, the mycobacterium species, and therapy. Results Forty patients (median age, 47 years; 58% female [23 of 40]) had positive NTM cultures plus 1 or more clinical signs. The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence of cutaneous NTM infection was 1.3 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.9–1.7 per 100,000 person-years). The incidence increased with age at diagnosis (P = .003) and was higher in 2000 to 2009 (2.0 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 1.3–2.8 per 100,000 person-years) than in 1980 to 1999 (0.7 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 0.3–1.1 per 100,000 person-years) (P = .002). The distal extremities were the most common sites of infection (27 of 39 patients [69%]). No patient had human immunodeficiency virus infection, but 23% (9 of 39) were immunosuppressed. Of the identifiable causes, traumatic injuries were the most frequent (22 of 29 patients [76%]). The most common species were Mycobacterium marinum (17 of 38 patients [45%]) and Mycobacterium chelonae/Mycobacterium abscessus (12 of 38 patients [32%]). In the past decade (2000–2009), 15 of 24 species (63%) were rapidly growing mycobacteria compared with only 4 of 14 species (29%) earlier (1980–1999) (P = .04). Conclusion The incidence of cutaneous NTM infection increased nearly 3-fold during the study period. Rapidly growing mycobacteria were predominant during the past decade.

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