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pISSN 2005-9159
eISSN 2093-0569
eISSN 2093-0569
Korean J Pain 2017; 30(3): 214-219
Published online July 31, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2017.30.3.214
Copyright © The Korean Pain Society.
Dong Hee Kang, Su Young Kim, Hyuck Goo Kim, Jung Hyun Park, Tae Kyun Kim, and Kyung Hoon Kim*
Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea.
Correspondence to: Kyung Hoon Kim. Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, 20 Geumo-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan 50612, Korea. Tel: +82-55-360-1422, Fax: +82-55-360-2149, pain@pusan.ac.kr
Received: April 14, 2017; Revised: June 8, 2017; Accepted: June 9, 2017
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
As herpes zoster progresses via postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) to well-established PHN, it presents its recalcitrant nature to the treatment. At this point, the well-established PHN is fixed as a non-treatable, but manageable chronic painful neuropathic disorder. This study evaluated the incidence of complete relief from PHN according to PHN duration at their first visit, and the other factors influencing it.
A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with PHN at a university-based pain clinic over 7 years. The responders were defined as patients who had complete relief from pain after 1 year of active treatment. Age, sex, PHN duration at their first visit, dermatomal distribution, and underlying disorders were compared in the responder and non-responder groups. Responders were also compared according to these factors.
Among 117 PHN patients (M/F = 48/69), 35 patients (29.9%) had complete relief from PHN. Mean ages were 64.3 ± 10.6 and 66.9 ± 10.7 years, numbers of male to female patients were 11/24 and 37/45, and mean durations of PHN at their first visit were 8.5 ± 6.3 and 15.3 ± 10.7 months in the responder and non- responder groups, respectively. In addition, PHN patients who visited the clinic before 9 months showed a better result. Dermatomal distribution and underlying disorders did not show significant differences.
Almost 30% of PHN patients received complete relief. Those who sought treatment in a pain clinic before 9 months received a better result.
Keywords: Diseases progression, Herpes zoster, Incidence, Morbidity, Postherpetic neuralgia, Skin rash, Terminology
