Herpes Zoster: A case report

Herpes zoster (HZ) (shingles) is a sporadic disease which results due to reactivation of the latent Varicella-zoster virus that is present because of a previous exposure to varicella infection (chicken pox). C3, T5, L1, L2, and 1st division of the trigeminal nerve are the most commonly affected nerves; the involvement of 2nd and 3rd division of trigeminal nerve is a rarity. The condition is marked by the manifestation of multiple, painful, unilateral vesicles, and ulcerations which show a typical single dermatome involvement. The elderly and those with an immune-compromised status such as HIV/AIDS stand at a greater risk to develop HZ. In this case report, we present a42-year-old male patient with HZ involving the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve. The involvement of mandibular and maxillary branches without the ophthalmic branch involvement is relatively uncommon and accounts for only 1.7% of the total cases of HZ. The purpose of this article was to review the literature and report a case along the discussion.