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Current management of postherpetic neuralgia
Louis M Panlilio1, Paul J Christo, Srinivasa N Raja
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. sraja@jhmi.edu
The Neurologist
|June 13, 2003
Summary
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is persistent nerve pain following shingles. While several drugs can reduce PHN pain, none offer complete relief, necessitating further research for better treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pain Management
Background:
- Herpes zoster reactivates dormant varicella zoster virus in nerve ganglia, leading to rash.
- Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is persistent pain after the herpes zoster rash heals.
- Various therapies show limited success in preventing or managing PHN.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical presentation of PHN.
- To discuss current prevention and management strategies for PHN.
- To explore neural mechanisms underlying PHN.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of clinical presentations and therapeutic strategies for PHN.
- Analysis of observations on the neural mechanisms of PHN.
- Synthesis of current understanding of PHN management.
Main Results:
- Several drug classes effectively reduce PHN pain and hyperalgesia.
- No single pharmaceutical agent provides complete symptom relief for PHN.
- Understanding of PHN's neural mechanisms has advanced.
Conclusions:
- Effective pharmacological treatments exist for PHN pain attenuation.
- Further research is required to enhance PHN treatment strategies.
- The role of invasive techniques for intractable PHN needs definition.