Herpes zoster ophthalmicus

Jasmina Kovacevic; Arthur Mark Samia; Ankit Shah; Kiran Motaparthi

doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2024.01.007

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus

Clin Dermatol. 2024 Jan 26:S0738-081X(24)00007-5. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2024.01.007. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jasmina Kovacevic¹, Arthur Mark Samia², Ankit Shah³, Kiran Motaparthi⁴

Affiliations

¹ University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
² Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
⁴ Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Electronic address: kmotaparthi@dermatology.med.ufl.edu.

PMID: 38281688
DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2024.01.007

Abstract

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) occurs when latent varicella zoster virus reactivates in the ophthalmic division of the fifth cranial nerve (CNV1). HZO commonly affects older and immunocompromised patients. This disease is considered an ophthalmic emergency due to the wide range of associated ocular symptoms, including severe chronic pain and vision loss. HZO is typically a clinical diagnosis due to its classic presentation of a unilateral vesicular eruption in the dermatomes corresponding to CNV1. Timely treatment is imperative to minimize ocular morbidity in HZO, given that ocular involvement is present in 50% of affected patients.