Treatment of zoster and postzoster neuralgia by the intralesional injection of triamcinolone: a computer analysis of 199 cases.

On the basis of this study of 111 patients with herpes zoster and 88 with postherpetic neuralgia, it is suggested that the intradermal injection of triamcinolone in saline is a valuable treatment. Mild complications were pain, hemorrhage, abscesses, atrophy, moon face and possibly thrombophlebitis. Zoster patients required treatment for about half as long as those in previously reported control series. In patients treated for active herpes zoster, postzoster neuralgia occurred with about one-third of the frequency noted in other series. In postzoster neuralgia, the patient was benefited sufficiently in 62.5% of the cases to find that life was worth living again.