eye disorders
Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus
Diagnosis of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus
Zoster rash on the forehead or eyelid plus eye findings Diagnosis is based on either a typical acute herpes zoster rash on the forehead, eyelid, and tip of the nose, or on the characteristic pain plus signs of previous zoster rash (eg, atrophic hypopigmented scars). Both skin findings are unilateral (ie, do not cross the midline). Vesicular or bullous lesions in this distribution that do not yet obviously involve the eye should still prompt an ophthalmologic consultation to determine whether the eye is involved. Culture and immunologic or polymerase chain reaction studies of skin at initial evaluation or serial serologic tests are done only when lesions are atypical and the diagnosis uncertain. 