[Limited possibilities for the evidence-based treatment and prevention of postherpetic neuralgia].

Postherpetic neuralgia is a disorder that occurs frequently in the elderly. As the effect of the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia is often disappointing, studies have focussed on the prevention of this complaint. A commonly used preventive intervention is the administration ofa single epidural injection of a local anaesthetic and a corticosteroid, combined with oral antiviral agents and analgesics. In a large, multicentre, randomised controlled trial, the investigators found that the single injection of a corticosteroid and a local anaesthetic had no added value in the prevention of long-term postherpetic neuralgia.