Abstract
A 67-year-old man complained left leg pain from five days before visiting our clinic. He had been receiving adjacent chemotherapy for rectal cancer, following two operations.
He complained of pain at L 5 nerve root area of his left lower extremity, therefore we started treatment and examination for his pain under the diagnosis of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. His pain worsened and we observed rash of L 4 and L 5 nerve root area after five days. Therefore, herpes zoster on the lower extremity was diagnosed, and antiviral drugs administration was started. The bullas became dry and the lower extremity pain had decreased one month later.
It is difficult to differentiate herpes zoster from degenerative nerve root diseases in patients who have lower extremity pain, without vesicles. Therefore, it is important to carefully check elderly patients, especially compromised patients.
