1: Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi. 2006 Nov;41(11):821-4. 

[Bilateral facial nerve paralysis-diagnosis and treatment]

[Article in Chinese]

Wang H, Gao ZQ, Li YL, Liu W, Quan SM.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital,
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing
100730, China.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the ways of diagnosis and treatment of bilateral facial
nerve palsy. METHODS: Seven cases of bilateral facial nerve paralysis in 1996 -
2003 were retrospectively reviewed, and then the ways of diagnosis and therapies
of these cases were analyzed. There were 6 patients with doubtless diagnosis.
They were diagnosed as acute leukaemia, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH),
Machado-Jesoph disease, bilateral mandible fractures, Guillain-Barre syndrome,
and Bell's palsy. The last one was diagnosed as Herpes zoster virus infection or
Lyme disease. In all these cases, there were 4 of 5 positive cerebrospinal
fluids test, 1 of 6 positive lyme antibody test, 2 of 5 positive images test, 7
of 7 EMG and Br test showed that the paralysis was peripheral palsy. All the 7
cases were treated with steroid and vitamin. RESULTS: House-Brackmann I was
defined as complete recovery, after up to 2 months follow up, there were four
cases got completely recovery while 2 cases incomplete recovery, and 1 case was
not reacted to the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral facial nerve paralysis was
rare, and it was difficult to diagnosis and differentiation, while diagnostic
mistakes would be serious. More attention should be paid to it in clinic.

Publication Types:
    English Abstract

PMID: 17283534 [PubMed - in process]

2: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007 Feb;136(2):313-4. 

Hutchinson sign and herpes zoster.

Murrell GL, Hayes BH.

Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton California, Camp Pendleton, CA; Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, and George Washington
University School of Health Sciences, Washington, DC.

PMID: 17275563 [PubMed - in process]

3: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007 Feb;88(2):255-8. 

Postherpetic neuralgia involving the right c5 dermatome treated with a cervical
transforaminal epidural steroid injection: a case report.

Shakir A, Kimbrough DA, Mehta B.

Western Reserve Spine and Pain Institute, Kent, OH.

Shakir A, Kimbrough DA, Mehta B. Postherpetic neuralgia involving the right C5
dermatome treated with a cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection: a
case report. A 66-year-old woman presented with 2 weeks of debilitating right
upper-limb pain with a vesicular rash over the right C5 dermatome secondary to
herpes zoster. Her pain failed to improve with: oral narcotics, divalproex,
gabapentin, pregabalin, and topical 2% lidocaine cream. Six weeks postonset, a
right C5 transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TESI) under fluoroscopic
guidance was performed. Prior to the injection, her numeric pain intensity was
rated as 9 to 10/10, and 15 minutes after the injection, it was reduced to 3/10.
At 2 weeks, her pain had maintained an intensity of 3/10 and over another 2
weeks had resolved. She remained pain-free 3 months later. In this case, the use
of a cervical TESI provided dramatic results in the treatment of debilitating
postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Further investigation is needed to determine the
efficacy of TESI in the early management of PHN.

PMID: 17270526 [PubMed - in process]

4: Rev Med Interne. 2007 Jan 17; [Epub ahead of print] 

[Immunization of adults against varicella and herpes zoster.]

[Article in French]

Hanslik T, Blanchon T, Alvarez FP.

Service de medecine interne, hopital Ambroise-Pare, universite
Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Assistance publique-Hopitaux de Paris, 9,
avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, 92104 Boulogne Billancourt cedex, France; Inserm,
U707, universite Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, UMR S 707, 75012 Paris, France.

PURPOSE: Following the commercialisation in France of the varicella vaccine and
the European marketing authorization for a vaccine against zoster, this article
intends to review the epidemiology of varicella and herpes zoster, to expose the
characteristics of the available vaccines, and to consider the advantages and
caveats of the different immunisation strategies. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY
POINTS: In France, from 550.000 to 750.000 cases of varicella are reported each
year, which result in more than 3.500 hospitalizations and about 20 deaths.
Subjects>/=15 years old represent 8.3% of the total number of cases of
varicella, 26% of varicella-related hospitalisations and 69% of all
varicella-related deaths. The susceptibility rate for the 15 years old is 10,3
and 79% of these non-immune subjects are expected to contract varicella. The
vaccines currently marketed against varicella are safe, have a good
immunogenicity and remain effective over the evaluated periods. Two vaccination
strategies are considered: a generalized vaccination of the infants and
children, or a vaccination targeted against high-risk populations and non-immune
teenagers and adults. The incidence of herpes zoster is estimated in France at
235.000 new cases per year, from which 1% is hospitalized. A live attenuated
vaccine using the same strain as the varicella vaccine, but at a much higher
dose, proved its efficacy in terms of reducing shingles and postherpetic
neuralgia incidences, of 51 and 67% respectively. This vaccine received a
marketing authorisation in France, for adults>/=60 years old. FUTURE PROSPECTS:
Uncertainties about the impact of vaccination on varicella and herpes zoster
epidemiology have yet to be solved, such as the potential increase in herpes
zoster incidence or in the absolute number of diagnosed varicella cases in older
age groups, or the loss of vaccination-induced immunity with time. These
questions demonstrate the need for an operational real-time surveillance network
to monitor varicella and herpes zoster incidence in the setting of general
population immunisation.

PMID: 17270316 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

5: Georgian Med News. 2006 Dec;(141):50-3. 

Peculiarities of herpes zoster in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts.

Sharvadze L, Tsertsvadze T, Gochitashvili N, Bolokadze N, Dolmazashvili E.

Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi,
Georgia.

The aim of five years (2000-2005) study was to investigate the peculiarities of
Herpes Zoster in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. For this
purpose we have investigated the clinical course of Herpes Zoster, disease
duration, complications of disease, as in acute phase as well as postherpetic
neuralgia in 74 HIV positive (1st group) and 74 HIV negative (2nd group) groups
of patients. In both group of patients we have studied the prevalence of the
following complications: 1. Acute complications of Herpes Zoster: a)
Neurological: motor neuropathy, cranial neuritis, meningoencephalitis,
transverse myelitis. b) Ophthalmic: keratitis, iritis, retinitis, visual
impairment c) Cutaneous: bacterial superinfection, scarring, disfigurement. d)
Visceral: pneumonitis, hepatitis. e) Multidermatomal. 2. The complications of
after resolution of infection: a) Postherpetic neuralgia and various duration of
pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia such as : < month, 1-6 months, 6-12
months and >1 year durations. b) Recurrent herpes zoster. Herpes Zoster
infection was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and by detection of VZV
specific IgM and IgG by ELISA. HIV infection was diagnosed by ELISA method and
was confirmed by Western Blot. We found that Herpes Zoster may develop as in HIV
positive as well as HIV negative population. Study showed that severe cases of
disease (Herpes Zoster), long duration and rate of complications are much higher
in HIV/AIDS than in HIV negative group patients. Rate of hospitalization is also
higher in HIV/AIDS patients with Herpes Zoster than in HIV negative patients
with Herpes Zoster. Frequency of recurrent Herpes Zoster is much higher in
HIV/AIDS patients than in HIV negative patients. The postherpetic neuralgia is
very frequent complication for both group (HIV positive and HIV negative) Herpes
Zoster patients, but its duration longer in HIV/AIDS patients in comparison HIV
negative group. There were no significant difference in disease severity,
duration and complications among male and female patients.

PMID: 17261887 [PubMed - in process]

6: Neurology. 2007 Jan 30;68(5):E4. 

Spinal myoclonus following herpes zoster radiculitis.

Estraneo A, Saltalamacchia AM, Loreto V.

Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS Via Bagni Vecchi, 82037 Telese Terme (BN),
Italy. aestraneo@fsm.it

PMID: 17261675 [PubMed - in process]

7: Manag Care. 2006 Dec;15(12):57-8. 

Herpes zoster vaccine brings relief for the elderly.

Morrow T.

Genentech Inc.

PMID: 17260848 [PubMed - in process]

8: Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 2006 Sep;46(9):664-7. 

[A case of herpes zoster associated Guillain-Barre syndrome with a relapse of
eruptions after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy]

[Article in Japanese]

Nagane Y, Utsugisawa K, Obara D.

Department of Neurology, Hanamaki General Hospital.

A 77-year-old woman developed progressive dysesthesia, hypesthesia and weakness
in four extremities immediately after improvement of herpes zoster in the left
Th10 dermatome area. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed an
increase in protein concentrations. Evidence of demyelinating polyneuropathy was
demonstrated by nerve conduction studies. Her hypesthesia and weakness in the
extremities were gradually improved following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy
(IVIg). Varicella zoster virus (VZV) titer levels in CSF well correlated both
with neurological symptoms and CSF protein concentrations. VZV DNA in the CSF
was not detectable. These findings suggested autoimmune Guillain-Barre syndrome
(GBS) associated with herpes zoster. An interesting finding in the present
patient is that one day after the completion of IVIg, when the neurological
symptoms in the extremities were apparently ameliorating, the herpes zoster
eruptions again emerged in the left L3 dermatome area. By treatment with
intravenous acyclovir, the vesicular eruptions were improved. We assume that
IVIg might suppress the immune response against VZV and promote the recurrence
of eruptions.

Publication Types:
    English Abstract

PMID: 17260813 [PubMed - in process]

9: Pharmacoeconomics. 2007;25(2):155-69. 

Acute/Subacute Herpes Zoster: Healthcare Resource Utilisation and Costs in a
Group of US Health Plans.

Insinga RP, Itzler RF, Pellissier JM.

Department of Health Economic Statistics, Merck Research Laboratories, North
Wales, Pennsylvania, USA.

BACKGROUND: Although there are estimated to be nearly 1 million cases of herpes
zoster diagnosed in the US each year, the economic costs associated with herpes
zoster in the US have not been well described. OBJECTIVE: To describe the
healthcare resource utilisation and costs associated with physician-diagnosed
acute/subacute herpes zoster, from a payer perspective, using a large US
healthcare claims database. METHODS: Data for the period 2000-1 were obtained
from the Medstat Marketscan healthcare claims database. The duration of
acute/subacute herpes zoster was considered to include the 21 days preceding,
and 90 days following, the initial herpes zoster diagnosis. Resource utilisation
was examined for individuals with newly diagnosed acute/subacute herpes zoster
(n = 8741) and compared, through regression analyses, with that observed for
control individuals from the same population (n = 50 000). Similar analyses were
conducted for costs; the costs included reflected healthcare payments from
patients, insurers and other sources.Regression analyses controlled for
demographics (age, gender), conditions that have been observed with greater
frequency among patients with acute/subacute herpes zoster in prior studies
(cancer, HIV infection, organ transplantation, other immunosuppressive
conditions and therapies) and the number of billed services within each of seven
categories of care that were potentially related to acute/subacute herpes zoster
and that were utilised within the 30-180 days prior to the diagnosis for
affected patients, and over an analogous period for controls. RESULTS: The
acute/subacute phase of herpes zoster was estimated to result in an average of
1.7 (standard error [SE] 0.02) additional physician and hospital outpatient
visits, 0.05 (SE 0.003) additional emergency room visits, 0.03 (SE 0.003)
additional inpatient hospital admissions, 2.1 (SE 0.03) additional prescriptions
filled and $US431 (SE 17.60) in additional healthcare costs per patient. Among
patients with acute/subacute herpes zoster, 21.1% had a diagnosis code with a
designation for a herpes zoster-related complication, and 9.4% had three or more
outpatient visits with a diagnosis code for herpes zoster. The average estimated
incremental costs per patient with acute/subacute disease increased with age,
ranging from $US258 (SE 37.70) among patients aged </=19 years to $US805 (SE
106.30) among those aged >/=80 years. The numbers of additional outpatient
visits, inpatient admissions, prescriptions filled for pain medications and
coded complications were also substantially higher among older than younger
patients with acute/subacute herpes zoster. CONCLUSIONS: The management of
acute/subacute herpes zoster was found to result in substantial healthcare
costs, with outpatient care and prescription drugs comprising the majority of
the cost burden. To more fully understand the overall cost of herpes zoster
disease to society, future studies should examine the healthcare costs
associated with post-herpetic neuralgia and productivity losses due to herpes
zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia.

PMID: 17249857 [PubMed - in process]

10: Singapore Med J. 2007 Jan;48(1):e16-8. 

Herpes zoster complicating imatinib mesylate for gastrointestinal stromal
tumour.

Durosinmi MA, Ogbe PO, Salawu L, Oyekunle AA.

Departments of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Obafemi Awolowo University
Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. mdurosin@yahoo.com

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection is uncommon in patients with
gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) and who have not been exposed to
extensive radiotherapy and/or high-dose chemotherapy. We report a 56-year-old
Nigerian man with GIST who developed VZV infection while on imatinib mesylate
therapy. From August 2003 to November 2005, 64 patients (GIST/CML = 6/58) were
enrolled into an ongoing Glivec (imatinib mesylate) international
patient-assistance programme therapy for Philadelphia/bcr-abl-positive chronic
myeloid leukaemia (CML) and CD117-positive GIST patients at Obafemi Awolowo
University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The patient developed
herpes zoster (HZ) infection 23 months into therapy with Glivec. With his
absolute lymphocyte count at 2,774 cells per microlitre and CD4 count at 950
cells per microlitre, no obvious immunological defect was observed. Prompt
resolution of symptoms without sequelae was achieved by treating with acyclovir,
analgesic and dressing of lesions with desiccant. To our knowledge, this is the
first reported case of HZ infection in a patient with GIST on Glivec therapy,
and the response is similar to that of CML patients who developed VZV while on
similar therapy.

PMID: 17245498 [PubMed - in process]

11: Pain Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;8(1):36-40. 

Effectiveness of prostaglandin e1 for the treatment of patients with neuropathic
pain following herpes zoster.

Kanai A, Osawa S, Suzuki A, Ishimaru R, Hoka S.

Department of Anesthesiology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Japan.

Objective. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is one of the most painful neuropathic
conditions, the mechanism of which remains unclear. There is no universally
accepted treatment. The pain in PHN is often relieved by bathing, heating, or
sympathetic blockade, suggesting a circulation-dependent property of the pain.
Therefore, we examined the effectiveness of prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1)), which
has an analgesic effect via improvement of peripheral blood circulation, for
patients with PHN. Design. A total of 27 patients with PHN underwent intravenous
administration of 60 microg of PGE(1) dissolved in 100 mL of physiological
saline and 5 mL of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate solution at an infusion rate of 0.02
microg/kg/min. Oral administration of PGE(1), limaprost alfadex, was followed at
doses of 30 microg/day for 2 weeks. Pain at rest and tactile allodynia before
and after the treatment was evaluated with visual analog scale (VAS). Results.
Intravenous PGE(1) significantly decreased VAS in rest pain and tactile
allodynia without severe adverse effects. The analgesic effect of PGE(1)
continued during the 2 weeks of oral administration of PGE(1). Oral PGE(1)
caused nausea in seven cases, diarrhea in three, and abdominal distention in one
subject. All subjects, except for two cases of nausea, continued the treatment
until the end of the study, although some required a decrease in the dose to 15
microg/day. During the 2-week oral administration, the VAS did not change
remarkably in the three patients whose VAS were not decreased by at least 80%
during the initial infusion. Conclusions. The results of the present study
indicate that oral PGE(1) following the intravenous administration produces
prompt and continuous analgesia in patients with PHN. Moreover, the intravenous
treatment using PGE(1) appears useful for predicting the analgesic effect of
PGE(1) in the patients.

PMID: 17244102 [PubMed - in process]

12: Cutis. 2006 Dec;78(6):418-22. 

Scar sarcoidosis: a case report and brief review.

Selim A, Ehrsam E, Atassi MB, Khachemoune A.

Endocrine Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Scar sarcoidosis refers to lesions of cutaneous sarcoidosis that appear in
preexisting scars. This condition may be caused by mechanical trauma such as
skin cuts or venipuncture, scars caused by infection such as herpes zoster, and
tattoos. We present a case of a 34-year-old man who developed scar sarcoidosis
following minor trauma to the left calf. We review the epidemiology, clinical
presentations, pathophysiology, and treatment options for scar sarcoidosis.

PMID: 17243430 [PubMed - in process]

13: J Cutan Med Surg. 2006 May-Jun;10(3):139-41. 

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus limited to the site of a laceration.

Timani S, Mutasim DF.

Department of Dermatology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine,
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0592, USA.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is known to occur at sites of trauma
or inflammation of the skin, including sites of tattoo, frostbite, herpes zoster
scar, burn scar, and implantation by windshield glass. OBJECTIVE: We report a
32-year-old white man who developed cutaneous lupus erythematosus at the site of
a laceration. The diagnosis was confirmed by histologic and immunofluorescence
examination. The patient responded to intralesional corticosteroid and
hydroxychloroquine therapy. CONCLUSION: Lupus erythematosus may be induced by
trauma.

PMID: 17241591 [PubMed - in process]

14: J Travel Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;14(1):65-6. 

Herpes zoster after yellow Fever vaccination.

Bayas JM, Gonzalez-Alvarez R, Guinovart C.

Preventive Medicine Service, International Vaccination Centre, Hospital
Clinic-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.

An immunocompetent 64-year-old women presented with brachial herpes zoster (HZ)
infection 3 days after vaccination against yellow fever (YF). The lesions
disappeared after antiviral treatment. There are very few reports of a possible
association between YF vaccination and HZ infection. This case supports the
importance of continuing surveillance of vaccine adverse events.

PMID: 17241257 [PubMed - in process]

15: Drugs Aging. 2007;24(1):1-19. 

Post-herpetic neuralgia in older adults : evidence-based approaches to clinical
management.

Christo PJ, Hobelmann G, Maine DN.

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Division of Pain
Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland,
USA.

Many individuals across the globe have been exposed to the varicella-zoster
virus (VZV) that causes chickenpox. After chickenpox has resolved, the virus
remains latent in the dorsal root ganglia where it can re-emerge later in life
as herpes zoster, otherwise known as shingles. Herpes zoster is a transient
disease characterised by a dermatomal rash that is usually associated with
significant pain. Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the term used for the
condition that exists if the pain persists after the rash has resolved. Advanced
age and compromised cell-mediated immunity are significant risk factors for
reactivation of herpes zoster and the subsequent development of PHN. Though the
pathophysiology of PHN is unclear, studies suggest peripheral and central
demyelination as well as neuronal destruction are involved.Both the vaccine
against VZV (Varivax((R))) and the newly released vaccine against herpes zoster
(Zostavax((R))) may lead to substantial reductions in morbidity from herpes
zoster and PHN. In addition, current evidence suggests that multiple medications
are effective in reducing the pain associated with PHN. These include tricyclic
antidepressants, antiepileptics, opioids, NMDA receptor antagonists as well as
topical lidocaine (lignocaine) and capsaicin. Reasonable evidence supports the
use of intrathecal corticosteroids, but the potential for neurological sequelae
should prompt caution with their application. Epidural corticosteroids have not
been shown to provide effective analgesia for PHN. Sympathetic blockade may
assist in treating the pain of herpes zoster or PHN. For intractable PHN pain,
practitioners have performed delicate surgeries and attempted novel therapies.
Although such therapies may help reduce pain, they have been associated with
disappointing results, with up to 50% of patients failing to receive acceptable
pain relief. Hence, it is likely that the most effective future treatment for
this disease will focus on prevention of VZV infection and immunisation against
herpes zoster infection with a novel vaccine.

PMID: 17233544 [PubMed - in process]

16: J Infect Dis. 2007 Feb 15;195(4):502-10. Epub 2007 Jan 10. 

DNA sequence variability in isolates recovered from patients with
postvaccination rash or herpes zoster caused by oka varicella vaccine.

Loparev VN, Rubtcova E, Seward JF, Levin MJ, Schmid DS.

National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA. SSchmid@cdc.gov.

Little is known about the pathogenic potential of individual strains in the
varicella vaccine. We analyzed genomic variation among specimens obtained from
vaccine recipients with postvaccination rash or herpes zoster (HZ), focusing on
polymorphisms between live attenuated varicella vaccine virus and wild-type
varicella-zoster virus. Eleven of 18 postvaccination HZ specimens contained >1
strain, and 7 of 18 appeared to be clonal. All 21 postvaccination rash specimens
contained mixtures of vaccine strains. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs) consistently occurred in every isolate; all were polymorphisms in
open-reading frame (ORF) 62, and 2 confer amino acid substitutions in the
immediate-early protein 62. Four wild-type SNPs occurred in every isolate: one
each occurred in ORF 10, ORF 21, ORF 62, and a noncoding region upstream of ORF
64. The frequencies of the remaining wild-type SNPs were variable, with the SNPs
uniformly expressed (even in mixtures) in 20.5%-97.4% of isolates (mean
frequency, 67.7%). No 2 clinical isolates had identical SNP profiles; as such,
vaccine latency usually involves >1 strain.

PMID: 17230409 [PubMed - in process]

17: Health News. 2006 Nov;12(11):12. 

I've had one bout with shingles. Can I get it again? Can I prevent it?

[No authors listed]

PMID: 17228401 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

18: Vaccine. 2007 Feb 26;25(10):1877-83. Epub 2006 Oct 30. 

Safety and tolerability of a high-potency zoster vaccine in adults >/=50 years
of age.

Tyring SK, Diaz-Mitoma F, Padget LG, Nunez M, Poland G, Cassidy WM, Bundick ND,
Li J, Chan IS, Stek JE, Annunziato PW; The Protocol 009 Study Group.

University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States.

BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster (HZ) incidence rises with age, especially after 50
years of age, probably due to waning varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific
immunity. The Shingles Prevention Study [Oxman MN, Levin MJ, Johnson GR,
Schmader KE, Straus SE, Gelb LD, et al. A vaccine to prevent herpes zoster and
postherpetic neuralgia in older adults, N Engl J Med 2005;352:2271-84], enrolled
people >/=60 years of age and showed that zoster vaccine prevents HZ and
postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), presumably through boosting VZV-specific immunity.
This study of people >/=50 years of age compared the safety and tolerability of
two zoster vaccine potencies. METHODS: Adults >/=50 years old enrolled in a
randomized, double-blind, multicenter study to compare the safety and
tolerability of one dose of two zoster vaccine potencies, approximately 58,000
and approximately 207,000 plaque-forming units/dose. Adverse experiences (AEs)
were recorded on a standardized Vaccination Report Card for 42 days
postvaccination. For assessment of injection-site AEs, clinically acceptable
tolerability was predefined based on experience with PNEUMOVAXtrade mark 23, a
licensed vaccine recommended for use in older people. RESULTS: Six hundred and
ninety-eight subjects (age 50-90 years, median 64 years) were enrolled. No
serious vaccine-related AEs were reported. Similar AE rates were observed in the
higher and lower potency groups (overall systemic AEs: 37.5 and 39.3%,
vaccine-related systemic AEs: 10.9 and 13.2%, injection-site AEs: 63.0 and
59.8%). Rates for a combined endpoint of moderate or severe injection-site
pain/tenderness/soreness and swelling were 17.2% (95% CI 13.9, 21.0) and 9.0%
(95% CI 5.6, 13.4), respectively. Most combined endpoint events were reported as
moderate in intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Both vaccine potencies were generally well
tolerated in this study of people >/=50 years of age. Although rates of some
moderate or severe injection-site AEs were greater in the higher potency group,
all rates met the prespecified criteria for clinically acceptable tolerability.

PMID: 17227688 [PubMed - in process]

19: J Headache Pain. 2007 Jan 15; [Epub ahead of print] 

The rare, unilateral headaches. Vaga study of headache epidemiology.

Sjaastad O, Bakketeig LS.

Department of Neurology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospitals
(NTNU), N-7006, Trondheim, Norway.

In the Vaga study of headache epidemiology, 1838 parishioners in the age group
18-65 years were included (88.6% of the relevant population). Each individual
was questioned in a face-to-face situation. In this population, a search of rare
unilateral headaches was also made, in spite of their presumed rarity.
Trigeminal neuralgia was present in two cases. Two individuals with SUNCT traits
were observed. Hemicrania continua may have been present in one individual. Also
observed were: optic neuritis (n=1), herpes zoster (n=4); a case of unilateral
headache upon neck rotation (chronic paroxysmal hemicrania variant? or "forme
fruste" of the neck-tongue syndrome?); masseter muscle spasm (n=1);
temporo-mandibular joint dislocation (n=1); and possible carotidynia (n=3). A
particularly intriguing form of headache was a unilateral, neuralgiform (?)
pain, associated with ipsilateral, regular jabs and allodynia, a combination
observed in eight females. A couple of conditions that entirely defy rubrication
are also reported.

PMID: 17221345 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

20: Am J Med Sci. 2007 Jan;333(1):56-7. 

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone
secretion.

Dhawan SS.

From the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science
Center, Memphis, Tennessee.

Presented here is a case of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone
secretion (SIADH) that developed in an elderly woman with single dermatomal
herpes varicella zoster ophthalmicus without evidence of varicella-zoster
encephalitis or dissemination. This is only the third such case reported in the
English language literature to date, and it affirms that SIADH can develop in
patients with herpetic involvement of just a single dermatome and corrects with
resolution of the herpetic lesions.

PMID: 17220695 [PubMed - in process]