Herpes Zoster Infections in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Objectives: Herpes zoster infections can be complicated and mortal in solid-organ transplant recipients. In our study, we investigated herpes zoster infections in solid-organ transplant recipients.Materials and Methods: Until June 2022, our center has performed 3342 kidney, 708 liver, and 148 heart transplants. Herpes zoster infections were investigated in 1050 adult solid-organ transplant recipients from January 1, 2011, to June 31, 2022. We studied 44 patients diagnosed with herpes zoster infections.Results: Of the 44 patients with herpes zoster, 32 had kidney, 7 had heart, and 5 had liver transplant procedures. Crude incidence rate was 5.2%.,with 9.7% being heart, 5.1% being kidney, and 3.9% being liver transplant recipients; 72.7% were male patients. The median age was 47.5 years, and 61% of patients were aged >45 years. Postherpetic neuralgia was significantly higher in patients older than 45 years (P = .006). The median duration to infection posttransplant was 16.5 months. The dermatomes of patients were 43.2% thoracic. Sacral dermatome involvement was significantly higher in heart transplant patients than in other transplant recipients (P = .015). We reviewed specific findings of the Tzanck test in 36.4% of the patients. There was concomitant infection in 15.9% of the patients, and 6.8% had pneumonia. Acute neuritis was more common in kidney transplant recipients (65.6%). The mean duration of acute neuritis/neuralgia was longest in liver transplant recipients (13.5 months; P = .047). Postherpetic neuralgia was detected as high as 24%.Conclusions: Early specific and supportive treatment is important for transplant recipients with herpes zoster infections. Appropriate antiviral prophylaxis regimens and vaccination strategies for varicella zoster (chickenpox) and herpes zoster infections should be implemented in the vaccination schedule of solid -organ transplant candidates to prevent herpes zoster infections and complications.