[A case of effective treatment with clonidine ointment for herpetic neuralgia after bone marrow transplantation in a child].

We report a case of effective treatment with clonidine ointment for herpetic neuralgia in a child. Clonidine hydrochloride is an alpha 2-agonist. It is generally administered intravenously, intramuscularly, intrathecally and orally. However, there have been only a few reports on transdermal usage. In our department, we have investigated the analgesic effect of topical application of clonidine in adults, and we have obtained sufficient evidence on the effects of clonidine. Therefore, we decided to use clonidine to a child. A 9-year-old child who had undergone BMT and developed herpes zoster was experiencing severe pain, itch, and insomnia. Many drugs were ineffective in relieving the pain, itch, and insomnia. To remove the symptoms, we tried clonidine ointment. Immediate improvement was observed in all the symptoms. Therefore, clonidine ointment was thought to be effective and we decided to prescribe clonidine ointment and amitriptyline hydrochloride. The application of clonidine showed no side effects such as bradycardia and low blood pressure. We conclude that clonidine can be administered to children without causing side effects.