Diagnosis and treatment of herpes zoster after renal transplantation

Objective To improve the diagnosis and treatment of herpes zoster by studying its onset features after renal transplantation. Methods Clinical data about 18 patients with herpes zoster after renal transplantation admitted to our center from January 2005 to Janary 2011 were retrospectively analyzed with its clinical diagnosis and treatment summarized. Results The onset time of herpes zoster was 6-27 months in 18 patients after renal transplantation（mean 16.5 months） and was 12-24 months in 14 patients（77.8%） after renal transplantation.The patients were completely cured after treated with dose-reducing immunosuppressive agents and antiviral drug（acyclovir） in 10 patients,ganciclovir in 5 patients and penciclovir in 3 patients. Conclusion Opportunistic infection may occur in patients with herpes zoster after renal transplantation due to over immunosuppressive drug therapy.