[Value of glucocorticoid treatment in herpes zoster]

48 patients suffering from severe acute zoster pain were treated with methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg body weight daily, if bed rest and analgetics had not been effective. The pain completely vanished in 33.3% of the patients; only 20.9% still suffered from unaltered pain. This therapy proved only to be effective if it was applied during the first 5 to 10 days after the appearance of the first lesions. There was no exacerbation observed in any patient. 66.6% of the patients developed postherpetic neuralgia accompanied by rather low pains, as 61.8% of the patients did not need analgetics.