Clinical Diagnosis of Herpes Zoster in Family Practice
Ann Fam Med Opstelten et al.
5: 305
The Article in Brief
Clinical Diagnosis of Herpes Zoster in Family Practice
Wim Opstelten, MD, Phd, and colleagues
Background Herpes zoster is a common virus that can cause nerve inflammation and eye problems. It is often diagnosed clinically by the presence of a rash, but this can occasionally result in a false-positive diagnosis with unnecessary treatment. This study tests the effectiveness of family physicians’ diagnosis of herpes zoster by comparing their clinical judgment with a laboratory test called dried blood spot analysis.
What This Study Found In 91% of patients studied, family physicians’ clinical diagnosis of herpes zoster, based on patients’ signs and symptoms, was correct according to the dried blood spot analysis. The dried blood spot analysis, a laboratory test, is a convenient method of testing.
Implications
- Family physicians have good clinical judgment in diagnosing herpes zoster. They do not often need additional testing to confirm the diagnosis.
