AGE PECULIARITIES OF HERPES ZOSTER CLINIC

Herpes zoster is a viral disease that occurs as a result of reactivation of Varicella zoster virus and is characterized by damage to the skin, nervous tissue. This disease develops as a secondary endogenous infection in individuals who have previously had chickenpox. Potential risk factors for herpes zoster are old age, the presence in patients of cancer and / or hematological diseases, diabetes, HIV infection, drug immunosuppression. Changes in socio-economic conditions are accompanied by pathomorphosis of diseases. This fully applies to the infection caused by Varicella zoster virus. Diagnosis of herpes zoster in the prodromal period is difficult, since there are no characteristic bubble rashes. Late diagnosis leads to delayed medical care. The clinical differences of herpes zoster in 78 patients of different age categories were studied: up to 60 years, and after 60 years. The terms of diagnosis, duration of prehospital and hospital stages, clinical symptoms, presence of concomitant pathology and complications were studied. It was shown that the diagnosis of herpes zoster at the prehospital stage was established only in half of the patients, which led to late hospitalization and may have contributed to the development of complications. Among the features of the clinical course, a lower incidence of concomitant pathology and adequate immunoreactivity were noted in persons under the age of 60 years, compared with patients over the age of 60 years. It is assumed that the reactivation of Varicella zoster virus, which is associated in the elderly with immunosuppression against the background of combined chronic somatic pathology, in young people may be due to other reasons, among which may be, including the features of the pathogen.

herpes zoster, reactivation of Varicella zoster virus, Immunosuppression