Herpes zoster virus infection: a clinicopathologic review and case reports

Herpes zoster virus (HZV) infection, particularly of the trigeminal nerve, can be a disabling and disfiguring condition with variable clinical presentations. Acyclovir is a highly effective treatment modality during the acute clinical phase; however, pain control may be very difficult particularly with protracted and severe post herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The clinicopathologic features are reviewed and two cases in immunosuppressed patients with HZV infection of different divisions of the trigeminal nerve are presented.