Aleksiev Teodor, Popov Veselin, Dobrev Hristo
Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, BGR.
Clinical Oncology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, BGR.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 17;16(12):e75857. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75857. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Herpes zoster (HZ) is a viral infection caused by the reactivation of endogenous and latent varicella-zoster virus that remains dormant in the cranial nerve or dorsal root ganglia. HZ occurs in a portion of the general population, with a higher incidence observed in high-risk individuals. Patients with impaired immunity, including human immunodeficiency virus infection, organ transplantation, old age, and cancer-related treatments such as chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) were found more prone to HZ infection. We present a case of a 50-year-old patient who underwent a surgical excision of an invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast. Following 15 fractions of RT, the patient presented with HZ appearing in the radiation field. The patient was treated successfully with Acyclovir, and RT was continued while on maintenance therapy with antiviral drugs. This case presents the importance of early diagnosis and the right choice of treatment in cancer patients and HZ due to the higher risk of complications and further development of the primary condition.
带状疱疹（HZ）是一种由内源性潜伏水痘-带状疱疹病毒重新激活引起的病毒感染，该病毒潜伏在颅神经或背根神经节中。HZ在部分普通人群中发病，高危个体的发病率更高。免疫功能受损的患者，包括人类免疫缺陷病毒感染、器官移植、老年以及癌症相关治疗（如化疗（CT）和放疗（RT））的患者更容易发生HZ感染。我们报告一例50岁患者，该患者接受了右乳浸润性导管癌的手术切除。在进行15次放疗后，患者在放疗区域出现了HZ。患者接受阿昔洛韦治疗成功，在使用抗病毒药物维持治疗的同时继续进行放疗。由于癌症患者发生HZ时并发症风险更高且原发疾病有进一步发展的可能，本病例凸显了早期诊断以及正确选择治疗方法的重要性。
