Haemorrhagic herpes zoster

Vasculitis-Like Hemorrhagic Herpes Zoster and HIV Infections: An Intricate Association

Herein, we report the case of a 69-year-old patient who presented to our dermatology clinic for a skin eruption characterized by grouped hemorrhagic vesicles and erosions covered by hemorrhagic crusts on an erythematous background located on the lower right limb. The lesions were small, clustered, and variable in size (diameters between one and 10 mm) and located at the level of the L4-L5 dermatomes. The rash had started three to five days after the complete COVID-19 vaccination scheme with the BNT162b2 Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and had been accompanied by a flu-like syndrome. The histopathological examination established the diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis potentially in the context of a cytopathic zoster phenomenon. The atypical aspect of the zosterian eruption required additional laboratory work-up to identify possible causes of immunosuppression, i.e., screening for the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, solid cancers, as well as measurement of serum immunoglobulin concentrations, which revealed that the subject was HIV-positive. Antiviral treatment was started, with a favorable evolution of the lesions, and the patient was referred to an infectious diseases clinic for initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Purpuric herpes zoster in patients in therapy with clopidogrel

Clopidogrel is an adenosine diphosphate receptor antagonist used for the prevention of vascular events in patients with atherothrombotic diseases manifested by recent myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or peripheral arterial disease. Diarrhoea, rash and pruritus are rather common side effects of clopidogrel. Other side effects include epistaxis, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer. Thrombocytopenia is the most common laboratory abnormality. Leucopenia and neutropenia are rare. We report three cases of purpuric herpes zoster in patients in therapy with clopidogrel. To our knowledge, only one case of haemorrhagic herpes zoster has been published in a patient in therapy with this drug.