RESEARCH - Shingles complicated by motor paralysis

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J Dermatol. 2000 Apr;27(4):252-7. Related Articles, Links

Herpes zoster infection complicated by motor paralysis.

Akiyama N.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Kanagawa,

Japan.

We reviewed a total of 1,432 patients diagnosed with cutaneous herpes zoster

at Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital between 1989 and 1997 for

epidemiologic assessment and outcome in patients with zoster paralysis

referred for rehabilitation. Of the 1,432 herpes zoster patients (624 males

and 808 females, mean age 54.3 years), 12 were referred to our department of

rehabilitation medicine for muscle weakness: one had myelitis, and eleven

others had lower motor neuron damage. Except for one 43-year-old man with

myelodysplastic syndrome, all the lower motor neuron deficit patients were

over 60 years of age. Involved myotomes were more widespread than involved

dermatomes in eight patients. Electromyography in four patients demonstrated

denervation of involved muscles. Five patients experienced complete or near

complete recovery from their muscle weakness. The muscle weakness related to

herpes zoster was occasionally diagnosed by electromyography as motor neuron

damage. Manifestations of motor neuron complications were not noticed but

might in fact be more common than was the clinical muscle weakness.

PMID: 10824489

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=10824489 & itool=iconabstr & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_DocSum

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