Postherpetic neuralgia and recalcitrant cystic lesions following herpes zoster: A case report and review of treatment options

Acute herpes zoster lesions in most cases are self-limited except in older and immunocompromised patients, wherein the pain can cause significant suffering. Postherpetic neuralgia is a painful situation for patients that can compromise the quality of life. Here, we report a 30-year-old healthy young man who developed treatment-resistant postherpetic neuralgia after herpes zoster (fourth/fifth thoracic segment) without any underlying immunocompromised state. He also developed some cystic lesions, which were removed by aspiration and surgery. The skin lesions improved 2 weeks after the surgery and postherpetic neuralgia was completely cured after 5 months, however cystic lesions recurred multiple times and were excised completely during each visit. Postherpetic neuralgia has a significant impact on the health-care cost borne by the society and affected individual, hence, it is essential to select appropriate treatment to manage the pain of postherpetic neuralgia.