ABSTRACT
Zoster (shingles, Latin cingulus = belt; Zoster, Greek Zostrix = belt) is a secondary infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) usually in adults, while Varicella (chicken pox) provides the primary infection mostly in children. The primary infection with VZV leads to immunity, but the virus remains behind in neural ganglia which in the elderly or in immunosuppressed individuals, can be reactivated by certain local factors, e.g. trauma, radiation therapy, leading to involvement of a single sensory nerve and its dermatone.
