Abstract
The severity of nerve injury caused by herpes zoster (HZ) may contribute to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Here we evaluated the predictive value of hypesthesia and skin temperature in the painful region of 83 outpatients with PHN within 2 months of onset. The skin temperature, the sense of touch, and the current perception threshold (CPT) were once measured in the affected and the contralateral intact regions, and they followed the numerical rating scale (NRS) and pain self-efficacy questionnaire (PSEQ) up to 1 year from onset of HZ. Greater decrease of the affected skin temperature compared with the intact skin temperature significantly correlated with the NRS and PSEQ scores since the 2 months. Although a significant difference was found in the sense of touch and the CPT between the affected and the intact regions, these values did not significantly relate to the NRS and PSEQ scores. The skin temperature laterality in the subacute stage may predict the pain intensity and disability in PHN.
