DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2013.v01i06.001

Pages: 661-663

Herpes zoster may be attended by a variety of neurologic complications of which post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common and important. This study aimed to determine the correlation between PHN and diabetes mellitus indicated by hyperglycemia. A prospective hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the correlation between PHN and diabetes mellitus as indicated by hyperglycemia. There was a high significant correlation between age and postherpetic neuralgia (Pearson Chi square value was 18.60, p < 0.001). Pearson correlation between random blood sugar and age was significant at the level 0.05 (Pearson correlation = 0.333, p = 0.016). Moreover, a significant correlation was found between DM and PHN (Pearson Chi square value was 6.28, p < 0.029). In conclusion, Diabetes mellitus, as indicated by hyperglycemia, may be considered as a predictor for PHN especially in old patients with herpes zoster.