Herpes
zoster, colloquially known as shingles, is the reactivation
of varicella zoster virus, leading to a crop of painful blisters
over the area of a dermatome. In Italy and in Malta, it is sometimes
referred to as St. Anthony's fire. It occurs very rarely in children
and adults, but its incidence is high in the elderly (over 60), as
well as in any age group of immunocompromised patients. It affects
some 500,000 people per year in the United States. Treatment is
generally with antiviral drugs such as aciclovir. Many patients
develop a painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia which is
often difficult to manage.
A Surgery Site Just Like Digg.com |