J Drugs Dermatol
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Herpes zoster (HZ), caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), initially produces chicken-pox, then the virus lies dormant in the dorsal root ganglia. The virus can reactivate after many years and results in HZ along ganglion's distribution. Old age, trauma, stress, diabetes mellitus, and immune suppression are important risk factors for the reactivation. Herpes zoster is characterized by unilateral radicular pain and vesicular eruption that is generally limited to the dermatome innervated by the affected ganglion. In immunocompromised individuals, disseminated zoster may develop. The aims of therapy in HZ are to control pain or reduce its severity by the use of analgesics, reduce the duration and eruption of new lesions, and prevent complications, particularly postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) by appropriate antiviral therapy. ⋯ The occurrence of HZ is 0.62% in patients reporting to the dermatology clinic of the hospital. Males are little more affected than females. The thoracic dermatomes are the most frequently involved. Diabetes mellitus is the most frequent coexisting disease. Postherpetic neuralgia is the most common complication of HZ.
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The short-term and long-term outcomes of 108 patients with 122 nodular basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), morpheaform BCCs, or low-risk squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) treated with imiquimod 5% cream at a community-based dermatology practice were retrospectively reviewed. The overall initial tumor clinical cure rate was 93.4% (114/122), with an initial clinical cure rate of 90% (72/80) for BCCs combined, and 100% (42/42) for SCCs combined. During a median follow-up time of 18 months, there was only 1 recurrence in the 114 tumors considered initially clinically cured. Imiquimod may be an appropriate initial treatment for these tumors in patients with good posttreatment follow-up.