A Case of Recurrent Herpes Zoster Leg Paresis Without Rash

ABSTRACT

Acute herpes zoster neuralgia is a benign infection affecting the sensory part of the nervous system with a painful vesicular eruption. The authors report a case of a 48-year-old woman patient with right leg paresis followed by herpetic rash. Needle electromyography revealed pathologic findings while lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed no pathologic findings. The patient was managed with strengthening exercises as well as pain relief for neuralgia. The potential role of antiviral pharmacotherapy in such a case is discussed. The authors describe this case because zoster paresis should be one of the differential diagnoses of girdle muscle weakness and because the rash followed the leg paresis. The clinical implications of the case are discussed, since the patient presented from time to time with relapses of the disease without prominent rash.

KEYWORDS. :

• homeopathy
• leg paresis
• pain
• physiotherapy
• radiculitis
• varicella-zoster virus