Herpes Zoster of the Nipple: A Rare Diagnostic Challenge

The breast constitutes an essential component of a woman's identity, body image, and self-esteem. The objective of this article is to present a rare case of breast skin pathology and to examine its differential diagnosis. A fifty-year-old woman consulted our department for a burning sensation in her right breast in combination with a rash involving the nipple-areola complex. The patient received treatment for evolving bacterial mastitis; however, a zosteriform vesicular rash subsequently developed over the right scapular region. The diagnosis of varicella zoster virus infection was confirmed, and oral medication was adjusted to antivirals, resulting in progressive reduction of the rash. To the best of our knowledge, reports on herpes zoster involving the nipple are scarce in the literature. This article presents such an atypical manifestation, underscoring the importance of including herpes zoster in the differential diagnosis of nipple-areolar complex lesions, and provides a brief review of the relevant literature.