Look What A Virus Can Do to Your Skin

A 31 year old man came to the clinic yesterday afternoon complaining of itchiness and pain over his left back extending to the front of his abdomen. He could not sleep the night before due to pain and itchiness. He said the skin condition started off with a few blisters on the described skin area four days ago and thinking nothing of it he did not see any doctor.

Well, the eruptions became more extensive with intense itching and pain which became so unbearable that he hardly could sleep. He had applied an anti-itch lotion bought over the counter (OTC) for relief. And when the spread became larger and pain worsened, he decided to seek medical attention.

I just took one look and I knew what the condition was. If he had come to the clinic a day following the appearance of blisters, he could be given medication to prevent more extensive eruptions hence reducing itchiness and alleviating pain which he described as sharp and pricking.

Crops of blisters starting from the midline to the left

Eruptions extending around his right side

The blistering crops kept traversing till just before the frontal body midline

The skin condition is called Herpes Zoster (shingles) and it is as a result of reactivation of Chickenpox (varicella) virus which have been dormant in the spinal nerve of the patient following an earlier infection. The infection follows the nerve distribution area called dermatome and so you see a characteristic pattern on the body.

It can occur in any part of the body like the face , the neck or upper part of the body.

It is unknown why this virus become reactivated. Most likely the immune system changes could have something to do with the condition.

I had another patient a female who came to see me some time last year with a complaint of pain and fleeting numbness on the right side of her face of about two day-duration and later she noticed small crops of tiny blisters on the right side of the face nearer to her right year. She came to the clinic the next day.

I made a diagnosis of Herpes Zoster and treated her with a course of anti-viral and on review 21 days later, the blisters had subsided and there was no new eruptions and extension. She no longer complained of any pain or discomfort over the right facial area.

An early crops of blisters on the face of a 30 + yr old woman

The condition would not have been as extensive like the above male patient had he come to the clinic within 24 hours of the blisters appearing as an anti-viral treatment would have been prescribed. Yet, not many people know as to when to visit a doctor so the best thing to do is to just come and ask for an opinion if you suspect abnormal crops of tiny clear, fluid-filled swellings on your face or any part of your trunk that may be accompanied by pain or uneasy numbness or less commonly itching.