Reactions 1194 - 22 Mar 2008

Antineoplastics

Monodermatomal herpes zoster following breastreconstruction surgery: case report

A 45-year-old woman, who had recently undergone breastreconstruction surgery, developed monodermatomal herpeszoster during treatment with antineoplastics [specific drugsand dosages not stated].

The woman was diagnosed with new stage III breast cancerand underwent modified radical mastectomy, followed bytransverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flapreconstruction. Following surgery, she received tenchemotherapy treatments over 5 months. Three months afterchemotherapy initiation, she developed a painful,erythematous, vesicular rash along the right side of herabdomen, which extended to the right side of her chest, clearlycrossing dermatomal distributions. Disseminated herpeszoster was suspected. However, extensive examinationrevealed that she had monodermatomal herpes zostersecondary to TRAM flap procedure. A pseudodisseminatedrash appearance had been created by nerve realignment.

The woman received oral valaciclovir and her eruptionresolved.

Author comment: "The chemotherapy, as well as thesurgery, may have been predisposing immunosuppressivefactors."Tuchman M, et al. Monodermatomal herpes zoster in a pseudodisseminateddistribution following breast reconstruction surgery. Cutis 81: 71-72, No. 1, Jan2008 - USA 801104716

1

Reactions 22 Mar 2008 No. 11940114-9954/10/1194-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved