Herpes zoster of trigeminal distribution - A case series

Abstract

Herpes Zoster (HZ) is an acute vesiculobullous condition affecting dermatomes supplied by cranial or extracranial nerves. It is caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in a patient with a history of chickenpox. Usually, a single dermatome is affected and the patient presents with erythema, burning pain, and vesicular eruptions in the affected segment. Antivirals like acyclovir are the mainstay of treatment. This manuscript discusses three cases affecting the three branches of the trigeminal nerve. The first (a 36-year-old male), second (a 59-year-old male), and the third case (a 50-year-old male) are affected by HZ involving the maxillary, mandibular and ophthalmic-maxillary dermatomes, respectively.

Keywords

• herpes zoster
• trigeminal nerve
• varicella zoster virus