Pregnancy Complicated by Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia

Abstract

Herpes zoster is caused by a recrudescence of varicella zoster virus which has maintained a latent existence in the dorsal root ganglion following a primary varicella infection. The disease is manifest as a painful eruption of vesicular lesions in a radicular distribution and can be severe and debilitating. Herpes zoster during pregnancy is rare; the incidence is approximately 1/20,000 pregnancies [1]. We report a case of herpes zoster that was complicated by severe postherpetic neuralgia, unresponsive to antiviral agents or analgesics.