Background: Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster (HZ). It is unclear whether short-term and low-dose glucocorticoids combined with antivirals can reduce the incidence of PHN.
Objectives: To investigate the effects of antivirals plus low-dose, short-term glucocorticoids on PHN.
Materials & methods: A total of 394 patients with HZ were divided into glucocorticoid and non-glucocorticoid groups, and the incidence of PHN was studied retrospectively. Forty patients with HZ were randomized into the glucocorticoid (n=20) and non-glucocorticoid (n=20) groups. The levels of protein 100-B (S100B) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the blood and the viral load in the skin lesions were measured before and after seven days of treatment. Patient condition and pain were assessed using the HZ and visual analogue scale pain scores.
Results: The incidence of PHN in the glucocorticoid and non-glucocorticoid groups was 20.89% and 30.51%, respectively. In patients with onset time >seven days before treatment, the incidence of PHN was 19.81% and 40.16%, respectively. In the glucocorticoid group, after treatment, the mean serum NSE level of the glucocorticoid group decreased from 15.8 ng/mL to 14.0 ng/mL, while the mean serum S100B level decreased from 1486.3 ng/mL to 1453.7 ng/mL. There was no intergroup difference in the reduction rate of viral load. The mean condition score and pain score were significantly lower in the glucocorticoid group.
Conclusion: Antiviral therapy plus low-dose, short-term glucocorticoids can improve the condition of patients with HZ and partly reduce the incidence of PHN.
Keywords: Herpes zoster; glucocorticoids; post-herpetic neuralgia.