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Table 2 Main baseline characteristics of herpes zoster and herpes zoster-related pain in each age-group

From: ARIZONA study: is the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia and its burden increased in the most elderly patients?

Age group (years)

70-74 (N = 220)

75-79 (N = 163)

80-84 (N = 137)

85+ (N = 89)

p-value

Time-interval between rash onset and herpes zoster diagnosis: %

0.179

 ≤1 day

46.3

34.6

41.9

37.9

 

 >1 and ≤2 days

22.7

22.2

24.3

31.0

 >2 and ≤3 days

14.8

16.0

14.0

16.1

 >3 days

16.2

27.2

19.9

14.9

Rash location: %

0.070

 Cranial, cervical, facial, and/or ophthalmic

15.0

16.6

19.0

28.1

 

 Thoracic, abdominal and/or sacrolumbar

72.3

66.3

62.8

61.8

 Upper and/or lower limbs

8.2

11.7

8.0

5.6

 Other location and/or combination of previous locations

4.5

5.5

10.2

4.5

Rash severity (quantitative assessment): %

0.775

 Few vesicles

43.9

38.9

43.5

41.2

 

 Many vesicles (extensive rash)

56.1

61.1

56.5

58.8

Rash severity (qualitative assessment): %

 

 Simple vesicles

86.9

80.3

85.5

81.2

0.294

 Haemorrhagic lesions

7.9

6.4

7.6

12.9

0.328

 Necrotic lesions

3.7

12.1

6.1

4.7

0.650

 Ophthalmic zoster

5.5

8.0

8.8

9.0

0.574

Time interval between pain and HZ vesicles onset: mean (SD) (days)

−1.0 (2.3)

−0.9 (2.5)

−0.8 (2.4)

−0.7 (2.1)

0.639

NPSI*: mean (SD)

32.7 (18.5)

29.9 (21.6)

31.1 (18.5)

33.3 (18.0)

0.407

ZBPI: worst pain severity score, mean (SD)

5.4 (2.5)

5.1 (2.8)

5.8 (2.6)

5.5 (2.6)

0.185

Medical treatment: yes (%)

97.7

98.2

100

98.9

0.337

 Antiviral drug

96.3

93.1

92.7

96.6

0.318

 Analgesics

85.6

86.3

88.3

86.4

0.907

  1. NPSI = Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory; SD = Standard deviation; ZBPI = Zoster Brief Pain Inventory.
  2. *NPSI score > 30 indicates moderate pain.
  3. from 0, no pain to 10, maximal pain.