The role of sympathetic nerve blocks in herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia

The most common complication of herpes tester in immunocompetent patients i s postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Sympathetic blocks have been traditionally used for patients with herpes tester and PHN with three different therapeut ic goals: pain relief during acute herpes tester, pain relief during PHN, a nd prevention of Pi-IN by treating patients with acute tester. The role of sympathetic blocks in herpes tester and PHN remains controversial due to me thodologic shortcomings in published studies and the limited current unders tanding of the role of the sympathetic nervous system in mediating pain. Cu rrent theories of the pathophysiology of PHN, the role of the sympathetic n ervous system in herpes tester and PHN, and published studies investigating use of sympathetic nerve blocks in herpes tester and PHN are reviewed. (C) 2000 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.