A Case of Unilateral Double Herpes Zoster

Abstract

A 61-year-old female had painful erythema on the left corner of her mouth and left external canthus a few days before her rst visit to her practicing doctor. She was diagnosed with herpes zoster on the left face and prescribed famciclovir and suprofen ointment. She visited our department the next day due to the appearance of similar erythema on the left side of the abdomen after returning home. Edematous erythema with small vesicles was observed on the left side of the abdomen and left face in the period from the initial visit to the diagnosis of unilateral double herpes zoster. We administered intravenous acyclovir (750 mg/day), which was effective. Herpes zoster usually presents unilaterally on one or several adjacent innervated areas. The frequency of double or multiple herpes zoster, in which the eruption occurs on multiple nonadjacent innervated areas, is low. A review of Japanese reports of double or multiple herpes zoster over the past 40 years revealed that the frequency of patients with underlying conditions was higher (45.5%) among patients with double or multiple herpes zoster than with ordinary herpes zoster. Examination for underlying conditions, such as malignant tumor, should be considered when treating patients with double or multiple herpes zoster. Skin Research, 23 : 217-221, 2024