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Published on: July 11, 2013
Developing Shingles-Induced Koebner Phenomenon in a Patient With Psoriasis: A Case Report
Yu-Kun Zhao1, Yun-Qing Zhang, Fang Wang
1From the Department of Dermatology, The Eastern Hospital of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (Y-KZ, H-HW, D-QL); Department of Dermatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (Y-QZ); Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou (FW, W-NC); and Medical school, University of South China, Hengyang 421001 (Z-YL), China.
Developing shingles can trigger psoriasis, leading to the Koebner phenomenon (KP) at herpes zoster lesion sites. This phenomenon can occur even before shingles fully heal or heal completely.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Psoriasis and shingles are common skin conditions.
- Koebner phenomenon (KP) occurs in 25% of psoriasis patients post-injury.
- KP can rarely manifest at sites of healed or healing shingles.
Observation:
- A 30-year-old male with scalp psoriasis developed KP on his scalp and forehead.
- KP lesions appeared on the chest in a dermatomal distribution corresponding to developing shingles (herpes zoster).
- Psoriatic lesions showed erythema and scaling, with pinpoint bleeding upon scale removal.
Findings:
- The study reports a case where developing shingles triggered psoriatic KP.
- Lesions on the chest and scalp responded to anti-psoriatic treatments.
- Recurrent psoriasis after one year was localized to the scalp and prior shingles sites, suggesting distinct recurrence patterns.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of KP triggers in psoriasis.
- It highlights that active herpes zoster infections can induce psoriatic lesions.
- The findings suggest that the Koebner phenomenon can occur during the development of shingles, not just after healing.
