Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
STDs (Expert Forum)
Herpes Zoster vs. HSV2
Answered by
Edward W Hook, MD - HIV Prevention, stds
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
Herpes Zoster vs. HSV2
by tdee000, Jan 29, 2008 05:52PM
Recently I had two bouts of shingles, both occurring within the same generalized area (on my buttocks). On the first episode, I saw my GP, who briefly looked at the lesions and then prescribed Valtrex. The second time, which occured about 1 month after the first, she prescribed Valtrex over the phone. I then saw my gynecologist last week, and she suggested that I take a blood test for herpes. Within 2 days of that appointment, I developed 1 small blister on my genitals. Now that I'm waiting for my test and worried sick, I'm wondering if herpes zoster can present lesions on genitals? Or, if maybe my original bout of shingles was really HSV2? If herpes zoster can show in the genitals, will the test results differentiate between the two types? And, if it is zoster, does it have the same consequences as HSV2?
Doctor's Answer
by Edward W Hook, MD, Jan 29, 2008 08:16PM
, Jan 29, 2008 08:16PMTo: tdee000
Only a viral culture will really give you the information you seek. Short of that, the blood test may well help to sort things out. Let me give you a little information which may be helpful, either now and even more so when your blood test comes back.
HSV does relatively commonly occur on the buttocks and when it does, the lesions resemble herpes zoster (shingles) and are commonly misidentified as such. The lesions usually appear as a cluster rather than a more elongated rash. If your lesions responded rapidly to valacyclovir, that even makes HSV more likely. If these lesions were herpes, your blood test will most likely be positive.
As for shingles, it is rather uncommon in persons under the age of 40, occurs but rarely, and when it occurs, it usually covers a stretch of skin rather than occurring in a cluster. Herpes zoster is very uncommon on the genitals.
Finally, if you experience more lesions, either on your buttocks or your genitals, see your gynecologist and request a culture as soon as possible after the outbreak occurs--this is really the best way to sort things out.
Hope this helps. Please let us know what your blood test shows. EWH
HSV does relatively commonly occur on the buttocks and when it does, the lesions resemble herpes zoster (shingles) and are commonly misidentified as such. The lesions usually appear as a cluster rather than a more elongated rash. If your lesions responded rapidly to valacyclovir, that even makes HSV more likely. If these lesions were herpes, your blood test will most likely be positive.
As for shingles, it is rather uncommon in persons under the age of 40, occurs but rarely, and when it occurs, it usually covers a stretch of skin rather than occurring in a cluster. Herpes zoster is very uncommon on the genitals.
Finally, if you experience more lesions, either on your buttocks or your genitals, see your gynecologist and request a culture as soon as possible after the outbreak occurs--this is really the best way to sort things out.
Hope this helps. Please let us know what your blood test shows. EWH
