Herpes zoster on the chest. Herpes zoster (HZ) most commonly appears on the trunk, albeit any dermatome can become its target. It may affect the whole area of a dermatome (or 2 dermatomes) or only develop a small patch with blisters, in which case it may be difficult to distinguish between HZ and a HSV infection based on the clinical picture. Patient history is usually helpful - HZ very seldom recurs while HSV recurs frequently.
Picture: Raimo Suhonen
Primary/Secondary Keywords