Localized Eruptive Blue Nevi after Herpes Zoster.

A 52-year-old White man presented with a dozen small, well-restricted, punctiform, asymptomatic, blue-gray macules on the left shoulder. A few months earlier, he had been treated with oral acyclovir for herpes zoster (HZ) affecting the left C7-C8 dermatomes. All the blue macules appeared over a short period of time and then remained stable. The patient had not experienced any previous trauma or had tattooing in this anatomical region. The clinical diagnosis suggested blue nevi. Dermatoscopy revealed small, well-limited, dark-blue, compact, homogeneous areas evoking dermal blue nevi. An excisional biopsy was performed and the histological examination confirmed a blue nevus. As far as we are aware of, this is the first report of eruptive blue nevi following HZ, and it should be included in the differential diagnosis of zosteriform dermatoses responding to an isotopic pathway. In addition, a brief review concerning eruptive nevi is presented.

Herpes zoster in psoriasis patients undergoing treatment with biological agents: prevalence, impact, and management challenges.

As TNF-α is a major factor in the immune defense against herpes zoster (HZ); an increased incidence and severity of HZ cases were suspected in patients undergoing treatment with TNF antagonists. Several studies and clinical experience provided evidence that the incidence of HZ increases by twofold to threefold in this patient category. The number of severe cases of HZ, with multisegmental, disseminated cutaneous, and/or systemic involvement, is also increased. Concerning psoriasis patients under biologicals, the clinician should be more alert for an eventual HZ event, in particular during the first year of biological treatment, and be aware of the possibility of more severe HZ cases. HZ may also undergo an age-shift toward younger patients. Rapid identification of risk factors for severe HZ, such as severe prodromal pains and/or the presence of satellite lesions, is recommended. The treatment recommendations of HZ in this patient group are identical to the recently published guidelines for the management of HZ. The live attenuated viral vaccine OKA/Merck strain anti-HZ vaccination is recommended before initiating biological treatment in psoriasis patients. The new adjuvanted anti-HZ vaccine will probably also benefit patients while on biological treatment.