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zoster

zoster

1 7.8
A painful skin rash in a band that happens when the chickenpox virus becomes active again
  • noun
  • /ˈzɑːstər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : herpes zóster
  • Use: treatment of acute herpes zoster and recurrent attacks of genital herpes.
  • herpes zoster
  • Varicella-zoster
  • zoster virus

Examples

  • However, tuberculosis, serious infections, and possibly herpes zoster are increased with treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, stressing the need for careful patient screening and monitoring.

    Academic text (2014)
  • After the initial exposure, herpes zoster lies dormant in certain nerve fibers.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Similarly, there are no contraindications to the administration of the zoster vaccine to a household contact of a transplant recipient.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Will a later-life onset of chickenpox be less likely to return as zoster?

    Blog text (4)
  • Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Zovirax is used to treat herpes infections of the skin, lip, and genitals; herpes zoster (shingles).

    Blog text (23)
  • Unfortunately, there is nothing that perfectly prevents PHN, but vaccination has been shown to reduce the incidence of herpes zoster by 51.3% in a study of 38,000 adults aged 60 and older who received the vaccine.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Both drugs showed improvement in SLE severity at the expense of a higher risk of herpes zoster compared with placebo in adults with moderate to severe SLE enrolled in Phase II RCTs.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Zovirax is used to treat chickenpox (varicella) or shingles (herpes zoster) and to treat or suppress genital herpes infections.

    Blog text (23)
  • Shingles, also known as zoster, can cause significant pain and discomfort for those affected.

Synonyms

herpes zoster
vszoster
  • Specialized
4.6

A painful skin rash with blisters that follows a nerve path

is a medical condition described without stressing severe nerve pain
zona
vszoster
  • Specialized
8.4

A painful skin rash with blisters caused by the same virus as chickenpox

is the general medical condition label rather than a strictly technical term
shingles
vszoster
  • Specialized
6.4

A painful skin illness that makes a line of blisters when the chickenpox virus wakes up again

is the medical term used in clinical contexts rather than everyday speech

Compounds

1 4.9

A germ that causes chickenpox and shingles in people

4.4

A virus that causes chickenpox and later shingles

A virus that causes chickenpox and shingles in people

herpes zoster virus
  • Specialized
5.3

A virus that causes the painful skin rash shingles

herpes zoster
  • Specialized
4.6

A painful skin rash with blisters that follows a nerve path

herpes zoster
  • Specialized
4.6

A virus that causes a painful skin rash with blisters

How Painful

zoster
  • Specialized
1 7.8
rash
128 2.7

Surface Forms

zoster singular
zosters plural

Etymology

Zoster comes from the Greek word zōstēr, which means 'belt'. Doctors used that image because the shingles rash often appears as a painful band across the skin, like a belt, so zoster refers to the band-like rash we call shingles.