The difficulty I was told with virological studies is that serology will not
change significantly to be diagnostic. At least when compared to a "primary"
illness.
Therein lies the problem of (the absence of) "good" studies of dormant
virological illness.
Also I believe the timing of treatment is absolutely critical - as with
HSV - if you get the acyclovir onto the lesions promptly the response can be
dramatic. I am quite sure the same applies to oral antivirals. Most of the
studies haven't got a hope in hell of getting patients within 24-48 hours of
being struck down.
It is hard enough to get them to the GP that soon!
Jon W
Dr Jon Wilcox
General Medicine, Paediatrics and Obstetrics,
Glenfield Medical Centre,
452 Glenfield Road,
Auckland 1310, New Zealand
Phone or Fax +649-444-7656
e-mail [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: George Myszka <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, 12 August 1998 02:35
Subject: Re: Possible shingles
>In article <[log in to unmask]>,
>John Lowes <[log in to unmask]> writes
>>But there is not a single reference to this condition in a Medline search.
>>How do you it is shingles? Has anyone gone in and biopsied nerve endings
to
>>look for virus?
>
>Try
>
>Amlie-Lefond C; Mackin GA; Ferguson M; Wright RR; Mahalingam R; Gilden
>DH; "Another case of virologically confirmed zoster sine herpete, with
>electrophysiologic correlation."; J Neurovirol, 2:136-8, 1996 Apr
>
>which suggested "Treatment with intravenous acyclovir and oral
>famciclovir were ineffective. These findings suggest the usefulness of
>EMG of muscles corresponding to painful dermatomes, combined with
>virologic studies, to support the diagnosis of zoster sine herpete."
>
>Regards
>
>George
>
>
>
>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|