OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is herpes zoster. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how herpes zoster will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 7 year old girl is in remission of leukemia and has pain in her left shoulder. She is receiving maintenance chemotherapy and also antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent infections. A dermatological examination reveals a erythematous patch beneath the left scapula that has eight small clear fluid filled vesicles present. What is the most likely cause of this rash?
Explanation: immunosuppression (chemo) + erythema with vesicles = herpes zoster
Question # 2
A 55 year old woman complains of a painful rash on her abdomen for the past 2 days. She is undergoing a course of chemotherapy for lymphoma. Her temperature is 100.9°F. An abdominal exam reveals a vesicular rash over the lower right quadrant and the lower right back that does not cross the midline. What is a possible diagnosis?
Explanation: immunosuppression (chemo) + vesicular rash (does not cross midline/dermatomal) = herpes zoster
Page Updated: 11.19.2016