[Herpes zoster paresis. A review of the literature and case reports].

The incidence of paresis due to herpes zoster (HZ) infections are reported very differently in the literature with rates varying from 0.5 to 31%. Many of the paresis are presumed to be undiagnosed on account of topographic dissociation, variable periods from the cutaneous affection to the muscular involvement, masking of the paresis by pain, paresis of the intercostal and abdominal muscles which are not obvious and difficulties in correlating the visceral symptoms with a herpes zoster eruption. Paresis of the cranial nerves are easily diagnosed and 50% of all HZ paresis are diagnosed from this region. Early acyclovir treatment has improved the prognosis. Four cases of hypotonic herpes zoster paresis in immunocompetent persons are described and the diagnostic difficulties are discussed.