Abstract
The clinical presentations and pharmacologic management with valproic acid (VLA) for 3 zoster patients suffering from intolerable electric shock-like pain (ESP) were described. Case 1: A 60-year-old man affected by ophthalmic zoster 4 months after umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation (UCBSCT) for malignant lymphoma. Because he was suffering from repeated episodes of intolerable ESP after 15 eruption days, treatment with VLA (800 mg/day) was initiated as an add-on to nortriptyline and gabapentin. The ESP was gradually reduced and resolved. Case 2: A 50-year-old woman with thoracic zoster 7 months after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for malignant lymphoma. ESP appeared in 54 eruption days and treatment with VLA (600 mg/day) as an add-on to nortriptyline resolved the ESP. Case 3: A 63-year-old man with cervical zoster 10 months after UCBSCT for myelodysplasia. Treatment with VLA (400 mg/day) resulted in resolution of the ESP, which occurred in 20 eruption days.
