[Is cytarabine an effective drug against herpes zoster? (author's transl)].

Although herpes zoster is a viral infection with spontaneous healing, the skin eruption is painful and there may be serious complications. Cytarabine was administered to 91 patients with the disease. It was given by quick infusion or intravenously twice daily for five days. An open, uncontrolled study of 61 patients suggested that the drug was beneficial without serious side effects. But in a double-blind randomised study of 30 patients there was no significant effect on the course of the disease. The mean healing time for skin blisters in segmental uncomplicated zoster was 8.4 days with cytarabine and 6.5 days with a placebo.